Pivot
by MachaBadb
Summary: Faith has been released from prison on good behavior and has plans to change her life for the better. Her path, however, leads her back to SunnyDale and into a role she never could have expected.
1. Many Unhappy Returns

**Disclaimer:** I do not now nor have I ever owned any parts or parcels of 'Buffy: the Vampire Slayer', though I do envy Josh Whedon and Mutant Enemy for it. Le~sigh.

**Author's Note:** This is an edit and reposting of a chapter. With corrected punctuation and etc. Haha. The chapter has also grown far larger and longer than it was before.

**Beta:** Myself… may you all have mercy on my soul.

**Plot:** Released from jail on good behavior, Faith struggles to obtain both a job and a better life. However, an odd dream and a chance encounter with Angel turns the former baddie's tracks back towards SunnyDale. Something is not the same…

**Story Title:** Pivot

**Author:** MachaBadb

**Chapter:** Many Unhappy Returns

**Many Unhappy Returns**

_Never thought I'd be back here. Not since the last time. Never in a million years._ Part of Faith wanted to hide from the events of her sad past. She had once been a not so bad person, fighting the good fight. Sure, her life had not been the best before her first trip to SunnyDale. In truth, her life had been a nightmare… having to deal with a mother who was either filling her mouth with cigarette smoke or alcohol, her father not being around and what she did remember of the man… it made her glad he was gone. Her mother was also, blissfully deceased and she would never have to see the woman again or hear anymore words of condemnation. _If I thought long enough, I'd say fine… It's all five by five and none of this is fully my fault._ Of course, thinking like that had gotten her in more trouble than not. After her awakening, life with Dormer had been very good and even now, she felt unexpected moisture flood her eyes as she thought of her first watcher. With Dormer, she had her first taste of home. The woman was the first one to truly show any sort of feeling for Faith. She had even begun to think of the Watcher as her mother. She certainly dished out enough pride for achievements and concern for Faith's welfare. Dormer was protective as hell…

Kakistos had stolen that from her. She'd had warmth once… had tried to grab onto it with both hands and never let go. To her credit, Faith had instinctively begun closing off parts of herself that were too vulnerable. It was dangerous for her to have feelings for anyone, wasn't it? Her sole friend was her, herself and no one else. Born to be bad, or at least being prone to get into trouble, it was not in the least hard for Faith to fall into bad habits. Alcohol had been her bestest buddy. She knew that Gin and Rum were her friends and whenever she was down, good old Jack would be there to catch her fall.

Of course, this behavior only served her for so long…until she made her way to SunnyDale. Back then, she had claimed to have a watcher off somewhere else. She had said many things that were either half truths or outright lies. Best of all though, she had met someone who would leave a permanent impression on her. _Miss Buffy Anne Summers._ Even now and despite her task ahead, a faint smirk crossed her lips.

Focusing on the present, Faith was careful to access her surroundings. She walked alone down a lonely stretch of road, as she often had in the past. Ever so often, she heard the faint hiss of tires on the ground as one vehicle after the next would pass. Back in Boston, cars stopped sometimes when the drivers saw people walking like she was. Especially in this kind of weather. The thin straps of a burgundy backpack rested on her shoulders. The afternoon sky was growing dark with storm clouds. Soon, she knew they would part, if only to release a torrential deluge on anything and everything foolish enough to be outside. Her smirk widened a bit. _Like me…_ Slowly at first, a single drop landed on the ground before her. One multiplied quickly and soon, she was debating the value of even trying to keep her head covered. Only a gray hoodie sweatshirt kept her protected from the pouring rain. In her haste to travel along this old beaten path, Faith had not taken time to consider how the weather might be. Nor had she cared enough to even pack properly.

Her dark eyes were focusing solely on the ground before her, watching nike clad feet taking one step after the other. Her mind began wandering over part of the reason she was even heading this way. _Faith had lost track of time and space after the first bizarre dream. Her first week out of prison found her sleeping in the park on one of the benches. Trying to shrug off her nightmare as a strange quirk, she had struggled to enjoy her change in venue. Knowing that with little education, her chances at ever getting a decent job were slim, she sought out things that did fall under her peculiar skill set. Naturally, she found herself outside of a club soon thereafter and applying for a position. Bouncer. The manager had laughed at her but hired her anyway. Faith had proved herself. The tenders there enjoyed her company, even if she didn't say much. In fact, most of the people who worked there did not even know her real first name. She had applied under the guise of Evangeline Terrance. Life was good though and money even better as a decent chunk of Faith's pay was under the table. _

_She had no bank account and did not want to risk the calamity if she tried to deposit her paychecks in one, so it was usually just cash. Her boss was smart enough to not question much of his employee and even moreso to know not to cheat her. For all her faults, counting was not amongst one of her weaknesses. Faith knew exactly what she was to be paid per hour and was usually accurate down to the last few pennies. Of course, good things had to come to an end. Of course, she was not allowed to have a decent life. The nightmares continued, each one resulting in her waking up screaming and soaked with sweat. One of them had even caused her to soil herself. Disgusted with herself, Faith had showered and headed outside for a smoke. The dark haired woman did not spend much time focused on her love of cancer sticks because as soon as she stepped outside, her nerves went on high alert. Something or someone was there. A vampire… Her mind had whispered and before either of them were ready, she was already sprawled on his chest, a piece of wood held over his chest. Her eyes widened… It was Angel…_

And now… _Back to good ole Sunny D. _Her mind griped. Faith was uncertain of what she would do differently this time around. She pulled her hands out of the pockets of her black jeans, focusing her gaze skyward. Through the ongoing gloom, she followed an invisible path, knowing how to get into SunnyDale by memory now. She had certainly spent plenty of time running to and from the place, violence and mayhem forefront in her mind. Back then, the dark slayer been so single-track minded, carving a path of death and destruction and uncaring as to whom was left in its wake. In the ensuing chaos, Faith managed to alienate the only other person who had seemed to understand what it was like. _Buffy…_ Her mind whispered, reverently, her smirk faltering. Buffy… her sister slayer. Buffy and Faith alone knew what it was like. To be a Slayer. There was no _The_ Slayer. There could be no single slayer, not with the two of them alive at the same time. Ever since Buffy's first supposed 'death', there had been a second. As Slayers, they knew what it felt like to have other people depend on you…to need you. Faith had been one of those people first. Just one of the gang, fighting the baddies of the night. Now all that had changed.

"Superfriends wouldn't want to be near me again. Unless it was to kill me or have me back in prison." Grudgingly she figured considering her circumstances, that it would be one of the best things they could do to her. She was a danger still. Even though she was rehabilitated and even though she had passed her anger management courses with flying colors, it was still there. She paused in mid step and looked down at her hands. To the casual outsider, they looked perfectly clean, but she knew differently. Her hands would always be stained red with the blood of the innocent. It had all started with Deputy Finch. Okay, so maybe not all of the innocent blood was innocent. It still did not excuse her killing a human. She should have stopped it then and turned herself in, but she was unable to. Fear warred with honor in those dark days. Faith let fear win instead and chose to completely deny that the murder had even happened. Denial always made a problem disappear didn't it? She could not fully claim it had not happened though. Buffy had been there and seen it all. Buffy had wanted her to come clean, but Faith had refused to even speak of it. To her, it was slowly becoming an experience much like her life right after the loss of Dormer. Faith wanted to press on, acting as if she knew nothing, but after a while… Buffy's words began to slowly sink in. The easy camaraderie they had shared was slowly coming undone. And Faith was beginning to think that maybe she should turn herself in. Then the Council came after her, slinging accusations and handcuffs without much explanation and all bets were off. It was true that she had killed the man, but she was not the thoughtless deliverer of slaughter she was seen as. Escaping had been easy enough and left her more enraged than not. Then her whole relationship with the Mayor began…

The Mayor had been a peculiar man. All saccharine smiles and he reminded one of warm, fresh American apple pie. While Faith was around him, she could not help think that Mayor Wilkins must have been born a long time ago….longer than he led on. She nearly laughed at few times over his gentle chiding when she would make a mistake. Despite that, he was a father figure that for a while she had been sorely lacking in. He seemed to only have her best interest at heart, and maybe because of that, Faith had swept the fact he did wrong under the carpet. He really _was_ evil, but even now, thinking of the man caused a faint twinge in her chest. The Scoobies and Buffy had annihilated the man thoroughly. Richard Wilkins was an evil man, an evil beast…yet he had cared for Faith. She was almost understandably upset. Of course, then Buffy had come after her, the result being a knife sticking out of Faith's gut.

All, of course, for Angel's sake. The man was a vampire and had terrorized all of the Scoobs at one point or another… and yet he still managed to have preferential treatment over her. How sick was that? A vampire being treated better than a slayer. Waking up alone in that hospital room after _months_ in a coma had been one of the most upsetting events of her life, even with seeing her first watcher killed and being used by the second. A muscle in her jaw twitched even now, thinking about Post. If she had any inkling back then of anything… But then again, wasn't had Faith's problem?

Realization had hit her then or what she thought had to be it, whilst lying in that hospital bed. A voice in her head had returned, telling her that none of them had cared. Of course, for a _brief period_ everyone always had. After a while though…all good things for her came to an end. People who claimed to care about her turned out to be liars, people she admired were twisted in some way and she was the same for it. Watchers did not truly care for her…Not with Buffy around. They had their slayer and all she had been was the result of a mistake. Anger had been a close friend of hers for a long time then, and she used it to get payback. Her attempt, as always, blew up in her face. _I was a fool. A complete fuck up. Ma would be so proud._ She began to wonder why Angel hadn't killed her when presented with the opportunity so many times in the past. She'd given him ample reason to hate her, what with all the attempts to stake him. Shaking her head, she tried to dislodge her downward spiraling thoughts. When her mind traveled down that road, it was hard to drag herself back up.

No, she didn't want to think any more about her mother or her failings more than she needed to. A wet strand of dark hair stuck to her face, the hood miserably losing its battle against the rain. She did not care. Faith's wayward thoughts wandered back to the last dream she'd had. There was Buffy, of course, fighting for all she was worth and then everything around her began to speed up. The Dark Slayer's mind followed Buffy as the blonde made a dizzying run up twisted stairs to the top of some strange construct. She saw this brown haired girl that she didn't remember ever seeing, who seemed hurt, and an old man who was obviously behind it. The man made a trip over the side of the building with a careless shove from the slayer. She said something; spoke a few words to the young girl. Without warning, time slowed to a crawl as Buffy turned and started to run. Seeing that bright light was where the dream often ended.

Dark eyes found themselves once more focused on the slick ground. She really had no clue what it meant and was starting to get the feeling that she would not like the answer. Whatever it was, though…She was going to find out soon. She looked up as she passed a sign.

_Welcome To SunnyDale_

That Night…

_Motels are funny things,_ she mused, staring at the walls with their old, peeling paint. At least the bathroom had been in slightly better condition. The paint still looked fresh; though she was sure it had not been that shade of green before. Still, there was barely any space between the toilet and what passed for a bathtub. Despite being able to pay for more, she had fallen back on old habits. She wasn't humorous enough, or financially conscious to even call it a 'money saving' venture. She knew she would need time to figure out the cause behind these odd dreams and find Buffy and… Faith knew that she was not supposed to announce her presence to the Scoobies either. This was for her own peace of mind, more than for the sake of necessity. Dingy, filthy and rat-infested holes in the wall were places that the former baddie was used to. In SunnyDale, one could not even pay enough for a peace of mind. Vampires or demons would cause damage no matter how much you paid for it…so why should Faith even try for better? Besides, places with as much anonymity as possible were her best bet since she did not want to immediately announce her presence.

Now, she found herself once again in one of the cheapest motel rooms in SunnyDale. At twenty dollars a night, the room cost a little more than her old room had. Of course, all of the dings and stains probably were behind the discounted price. Faith felt just a little sick then, thinking about the sad situations she had been forced into just to survive. This room was mostly clean though…but it was so small. She tried not to focus too much on her other 'other' room. This wasn't close to the living space she had been given by the Mayor. That place had been so lavish, almost too large for her. Ever seeking affection and craving attention, the brunette had easily given in to the comforts offered. It was-had been home. After stepping into the motel room, she had dropped her pack next to the door, peeled off her hoodie along with a black t-shirt that clung to her skin and dropped them on the floor. It seemed as safe a spot as any, considering the location. Was it possible that there were more creepy crawlies on the floor when compared to the bed itself? _Likely to have more past stains._ She just hoped that there were no strange smells coming from the uncomfortable looking surface. Making sure to lock the door, for a moment she pressed her hands and forehead to the aged wood.

Already, she was missing her old apartment, which was small but not nearly as tiny as this. Faith had kept the place clean easily too. She'd just moved in when the slayer dreams began. Stepping back from the door, she stared at it. Luckily, the landlord had believed her story of a family emergency and had not charged her for breaking her lease early. Luck… Hers had changed after she had escaped this dump of a town and now she was back again. _Son of a bitch…_ She bit her bottom lip.

Due to how she had lived, hopping from one place to other and living in the smallest of places…running from the law and other forms of trouble, her worldly possessions were not many. It was good because it was easy to get away… far too easy to pack her life up and move. This was also bad, reminding her that she did not at all resemble any kind of permanence. It seemed like Faith would always be running from something… or someone. That wasn't a sure fired way for anyone to continue living, but she had done so insofar, hadn't she? Clenching and unclenching her fists, Faith tried not to think of her limited chances if she had to keep doing this. Swallowing hard, she backed up until the backs of her knees hit bed. With a sigh, she sat on the hard mattress, clad in her bra and jeans, and threw herself back on the bed. Both hands rested over her eyes, her palms pressing into her cheeks. Faith inhaled slowly and deeply, fighting the urge to shake her head and pull her own hair. Frustration was painful for her and inactivity even more so. This continued for a few moments until she dragged her hands down the sides of her face. _Bored…I'm bored!_ A few hours back in SunnyDale and she already wanted to leave again. This would not do. She wasn't content to just idly twiddle her thumbs either. She had been and still was a woman of action.

_Maybe I can find something to slay…_ Slowly coming to a decision, she sat up and hopped off the bed, walking over to her backpack. She dug through the pack, moving around items and removing a few things before pulling out a wooden stake. Weighing the solid wood in one hand, she considered again, carefully. If she went outside, there was a definite risk of exposing herself. If she stayed inside tonight, there was a bigger risk she would die of boredom. Faith prayed there was a beastie in need of killing. Even if not, patrolling was a good way to pass the time. The alternative did not appeal nearly as much as it had in the past. Strange…time in prison and suddenly going out and drinking had lost its charm. Half smiling, Faith pulled her sodden shirt on…struggling only a little with the willful fabric, unlocked the door and headed outside.

In The Graveyard…

She was feeling pretty good. Two vamps already dusted and she had only been out for half an hour. It was a situation that she could not call anything other than peculiar. So very strange and almost as if the population had jumped since she'd been away. With Buffy around, the dark-haired slayer doubted that should have been the case. _B's slacking._ She toyed with the idea of locating her sister slayer and teasing her about it, an impish grin briefly curving her lips upwards. Recollecting past reactions to seeing her however made Faith slowly begin to sober. Buffy would not like the idea of doing anything with her, let alone talking. The last time she remembered seeing Buffy, the blonde had tried to kill her. To be fair though, she had done the exact same thing on many different occasions. Still… Buffy slacking… it somehow didn't seem right.

Unless… Was there some sort of prophecy that no one had told her about? Perhaps some demon's nest that needing to be cleaned out? Maybe xenomorphs had managed to wriggle their way to SunnyD and were busting out of people's chests. _No…_ She lightly shook her head. Even that last one was farfetched. Were it true, people would be far more cautious. Then again, in a town that was run by things that bumped and killed in the dark, its residents were surprisingly complacent. No one objected to anything really. Maybe people were so used to seeing unexplained deaths that they turned a blind eye to it. Or maybe…just maybe it was that the residents really did not care.

Sniffing lightly, the brunette glanced around. She was a little jumpy, but what she would have described as 'H&H' was not quite taking over. Already she was having a small adrenaline surge from the respite from inactivity. In prison, fighting was common, especially if you appeared as fragile as the former bad girl did. OF course, after the first few busted noses and broken ribs, people had been careful around her. While relieved that she would not be stabbed in her sleep, Faith missed the rush. Being a bouncer offered the opportunity to bust up someone, but even there her reputation preceded her. Out here, she did not have to worry about restraining herself. At least not nearly as much. Hearing a noise to her left, Faith ducked down just a little, her body pushing itself into readiness. Whirling towards the sound of lumbering steps, Faith had to take a split second to collect herself. _Buffy?_ Her mind numbly murmured in confusion. Or was it? Faith's eyes narrowed. Something was off. She hadn't gotten that familiar twinge when the other slayer was around. Otherwise, she would not have been nearly as startled.

"Buffy!" She called aloud, hoping to attract the other slayer's attention. The blonde didn't even acknowledged that someone considered an ex-con was there. The blonde's steps were unusually stiff as she walked along, a stake clenched tightly in one hand. She seemed distracted, enough to not notice the two vampires sneaking up on her. Faith did not wait to take time to think about how oddly Buffy was acting and sprinted across the grass. She planted with her right foot and launched herself at the other slayer, tackling her to the ground. "Pay attention!" She yelled into the blonde's face before jumping to her feet and starting after the vampires. Buffy remained prone on the ground, not even blinking as one of the vampires swung at her 'savior'. Unblinking, the brunette caught the fist aimed for her face and thrust the stake home with her other hand. The other vampire was caught with a back kick and knocked to the ground. She crouched over him after he fell, and he too became dust. "Got 'em, B." She announced, looking to Buffy, surprised at the blank stare directed her way. "Buffy?" _I didn't tackle her that hard._ Taking a few quick steps over to the other slayer, Faith knelt and waved a hand slowly in front of the blonde's face. Nothing. Buffy's eyes weren't even following the path of her hand. _The lights are on, but no one's home._ She snapped her fingers a couple times, hoping that would work. Suddenly, those green eyes blinked at her…but it was slow. _There we-_

"Hello! I am Buffy!" The blond slayer chirped in a far too _cheery_ tone…-_go?_ Faith's mind stuttered on after the interruption. Faith waved her hand again in front of Buffy's face. "Who are you?" Was asked in the same voice. Considering this situation, Buffy should have been attacking her. The blond Slayer should have been trying to kill her. A chill ran down Faith's spine. Something was very, very wrong. She didn't see anything recognizable in Buffy's dulled gaze. Had something happened to addle the blonde? An accident? It would have made sense for the Scoobies to alert Faith as soon as such an occurrence had happened, wouldn't it have? Or were they so jaded by her deeds that they did not want to risk her being back here? Suddenly…the buzz from earlier was beginning to wear off. Faith's shoulders drooped slightly at the imagined, if not yet realized, rejection she was sure to receive.

"Faith…It's… It's Faith." The brunette spoke, setting her stake down on the ground and carefully grasping hold of Buffy's arms. "My name is Faith." She dutifully repeated, as if speaking to someone with diminished faculties. "Buffy, you know me!" At the still vacant stare, she started shaking the smaller woman slightly. Faith was trying to be careful, not wanting to spur her former ally into attacking her. "Buffy! It's me! Remember? It's me, Faith. Yunno… killed a guy and went rogue. Turned evil with a demon and tried to kill all your friends!" Hate, she'd expected and even now she waited for the much deserved slap that was meant just for her. Denial was also something that she expected, even more now because of how….diminished Buffy seemed to be. Maybe, Faith even expected to be on the receiving end of a nasty pounding, but to not even be remembered? This was unreal!

Seemingly as soon as the thought entered her head though, Faith's dark eyes narrowed. This all could be a ploy, some tactic to make her believe she had lost her mind. Or it was a dream. Was it possible that Faith had, up to this point, merely created this scenario out of her own warped nighttime imagination? Was her reality that she was drunk and passed out somewhere? Was she drugged? She bit her bottom lip hard in though, wincing at the pain from her deed. Nope…definitely alive. Though the obvious point that she was awake was that for a good five minutes she tried to imagine up a few barely clad bodies in swimwear, moonlight dancing over their glossy skin.

But of course, _THAT_ was not going to happen. _A pity…_ She thought. She did have some nice ideas for what her dream people would wear.

"I'm the Vampire Slayer." Buffy's cheerful voice broke her inner reverie and snapped her back to present. "I am The Slayer, and I kill vampires." Though more than a little insulted over that comment, Faith did not argue. She was unsure what arguing would do to Buffy. "Yes. Slaying vampires is what I do-"

"Yes, yes I know you kill vampires!" Faith interrupted, annoyed. She understood what being a Slayer entailed. She did not need to be reminded every five seconds. "B, please stop it already! You're starting to scare me!" Faith's enhanced hearing began to pick up a faint whirring noise. It wounded foreign, alien and very mechanical. Quieting, she drew in a deep breath slowly and was uncertain as to where the sound was originating. Faith tried not to focus on the knowledge that the closest source was in front of her. Buffy tilted her head and blinked at her. For a brief instant, Faith assumed that her sister slayer heard the same. "Buff…" She began, muscles tensing again. Something was very wrong. "Are you sick?"

"Where…are…m-my friends?" That was the last thing Faith could have expected to hear. And Buffy's voice…it was so… Faith was alarmed to hear the blonde slayer's voice deepening and slowing down. She did not sound like someone on the edge of passing out but more like something heard when playing a tape at a slower speed. Things were making little to no sense for Faith until she began noticing other things that were not normal. She noted the chill to Buffy's skin. Pressing a hand against the blonde's forehead, Faith drew back… Her hands noted how the surface she just touched did not feel like skin at all. She released her hold on the woman she'd assumed was a former ally and scrambled backwards, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Buh…you're not Buffy!" _But if this isn't Buffy, who the hell is it? What the hell is it? And where is Buffy?_ Faith doubted that if she asked the silent bot the questions swirling in her mind, she would only find herself the recipient of that eerily cold stare. It did not make sense, none at all. Where was the real Buffy? Was she taking time off or something?

"I think the Buffybot headed this way!" A familiar male voice spoke into the night air. Twitching, Faith scrambled even further away from the… bot… _Bot?_ She got to her feet slowly, seeing Xander a distance away along with a blonde she recognized as his girlfriend. Faith turned and bolted, hiding behind a large stone angel and trying desperately to get her bearings. Thankfully, Faith had the presence of mind to tuck her limbs in closely to her body. She had gotten herself fully out of sight before they had a chance of spotting her. The brunette knew that many strange things happened in SunnyDale, demons…vampires…things that slithered and crawled, but she was certain that Buffy being a robot was not on the list of them. She heard Xander speaking then, and turned her focus to listening to him.

"Yeah she's here," He paused for a moment and then responded as if someone was talking to him. Peeking around the angel cautiously lest she be spotted, Faith watched him kneel in front of the… in front of the robot. Strange, it was still sitting upright mostly, but it was so still. "I think her batteries ran down. Time to recharge her." Faith then heard the blonde's voice.

"Xander…is that a stake?" Noticing her hand was empty, Faith fought the urge to curse audibly. She'd been so surprised, so confused that she had not been thinking clearly.

"Of course it is. You know, Buffy with a stake isn't a strange occurrence." His voice caught on the slayer's name. Dark brows furrowed as Faith noticed his tone. _What was going on here exactly?_ They knew that the thing before them was a robot, but they still referred to 'it' as Buffy.

"She's still holding hers." The blonde replied. Noting sudden silence, Faith carefully edged around the statue and peered at the duo. Xander was kneeling next to the robot, much in the same position she had been in earlier.

"She…carries extras? I don't know Anya." He looked to the blonde, who merely shook her head. "No, Will would have told us if she programmed the bot to carry extras." Anya looked around, surveying the landscape. Unseen by the two, Faith's eyes narrowed. Was it even possible that the safety of this town relied on a robot that was not even bright enough to carry more than one stake at a time? _But she did fool you._ She reminded herself. That was likely the entire point, to make everything out there assume that it was Buffy who was beating them. Except the thing did not act like Buffy should have.

"Doesn't make sense to me either, Xander. I don't see signs of anyone else."

"That's…" Xander gulped. "That's because there is no one else. Buffy is the only slayer." Wisely, Faith surmised, Anya remained silent. Better not to bring up bad memories. The dark slayer's heart pounded a bit at his words… They had not even thought to come for her. Of course, that made sense, considering what she had done but still… "I'm going to need some help to get the bot back to Will." He was quiet and nodded with finality, looking the robot over carefully, checking for signs of damage. "It's strange… Could have sworn that Willow charged her before patrol tonight." He grunted a little as he pulled one arm over his shoulder and attempted to stand. Seeing his struggle, Anya quickly ran to the other side to assist.

"She _is_ heavier than she looks." The woman lifted one of the arms. "Couldn't Willow have made her lighter than this?" Though she already knew the answer to the question. Anya seemed to at times just ask something just to fill the silence.

"An…don't. Just don't," He looked into the robot's face as he solidly gained his balance. "She's all that we have. And she's no Buffy. The only Buffy who's Buffy is the real one." Faith pulled away from the angel statue, pivoted on her heel and walked away swiftly. If anything else had been said, she didn't catch it. She needed to think. _Had Buffy really done it? Had she left SunnyD?_ She felt saddened, but understood. Buffy had wanted to live a normal life, do things like an average every day girl would. And she figured the blonde slayer had done just that. Just packed up one day and left, because normal and SunnyDale had never gone hand in hand.

In the past, Faith had always thought SunnyDale should have been her place and now it really was. She had also thought that Buffy's entire life should have been her own, but she tried not to focus too much on those dark days, still remembering vividly how much she beat her own body up while spewing how much she hated it. _I may not be THE Slayer, but I'm still a slayer._ She should have been happy. So why did she not feel like celebrating? The old Faith would have been jumping for joy at the fact. Finally, a town to call her own. But no. Instead she just felt hollow. SunnyDale had never been her home, not truly. It had never belonged to her nor did she think it should now.

Faith did not come from a decent home with two loving parents. She did not have a normal childhood. Faith had proven herself to be as untrustworthy as they came, a murderer. She was a felon, with a violent temper and prone to a nasty mean streak. And currently, she was top pickings. Considering what SunnyDale had before, she felt bad for them, but she would do her best. _As if my best was even nearly good enough._

That did not erase the fact that she now knew lives relied on her. And she was _Second Best_, barely able to take care of herself at times. The thought left a sour taste in her mouth and had she eaten earlier, her meal would have been at her feet.

Faith was going to have to do it. She was going to eventually run into the Superfriends on one of her patrols. She was going to have to explain as well as she could. Faith was also going to pray that she could run far enough if things turned bad.

…To Be Continued…

**Author's Additional Note:** Whew! Thanks for your patience. It should not take long at all, but each chapter is going to be revised, edited and uploaded again. Again, thanks for your time and thanks for sticking around all these years! ~.


	2. Confusion

**Disclaimer: **_AGAIN, Buffy: the Vampire Slayer does not at all belong to me. Not that I didn't wish that it did. She's the property of Josh Whedon and Mutant Enemy. _

**Author's Note:** _Apologies for any spelling errors I made and overall delayedness of the fic. I had a major case of literary stage fright._

**Summary: **_Faith's come back to SunnyDale after getting out of jail on good behavior, leaving behind a pretty good paying job, only to find that Buffy's fled the scene and left a mere robot in her place._

**SunnyDale is all Faith's now**_…But does she want it?_

Early Morning, July 4th, 2001

Faith rose and fell rhythmically as she did a set of morning push ups. She was clad in only a sports bra and shorts. The battery operated alarm clock on her nightstand read 3:54am. Normally, she wouldn't have been surprised. She never was able to sleep for too long. Her energy level was always pulsing, always pushing for her body to keep moving. A regular person would have collapsed from fatigue long ago. In this case, however, the longer she did her push ups, the more agitated she became. Finally, after having lost count for the third time, she easily bounced up to her feet and walked over to the nightstand. She grabbed the clock and plopped down on the bed, crossing her feet. Her dark eyes studied the machine as she turned it over in her hands. Glancing to her left, she noted the lack of sunlight peeking through the blinds.

She frowned and sat up. Tossing the clock on the bed, she headed into the bathroom for a shower. She set her soap and washcloth within reach and turned the water on. Stripping quickly, she jumped into the shower, letting out only a small yelp of surprise at the temperature. She felt as if someone was pouring an entire vat of ice water on her. After a few moments, to her relief, the water warmed slightly. Either that or her body had adapted to the cold. She scrubbed herself furiously, intent on getting out as soon as she could.

Morning

Faith pinched the bridge of her nose. For what had to be the ninth time, she paced the length of her motel room, counting the various cracks in the ceiling. It was when she started to put the individual dents, discolored spots and cracks into their own separate categories that she decided she had better stop right away. She looked over at the clock that now took residence in the middle of her bed. 6:01AM. _Okay, this is getting me no where!_ She howled in her mind.

The television in her room had amused her for a short time. Then, she tried her hand at channel surfing. Her trip was a short one, seeing as there were only five channels that worked. She got off the bed and started pacing a little and was making her fifth rotation when what seemed like a movie sputtered to life on the screen. Elated, she'd redirected her attention to the television, only for the movie to putter out from static. She'd then returned to pacing.

"There's gotta be something to do for fun." Angrily, she ran her fingers through her hair, fighting the urge to pull at the dark locks. "Maybe I can go out. Find something." She looked down and decided to add more to her current attire. Something told her people might be tempted to stare if she pranced out the door in just a pair of polka dot thong underwear.

Shortly afterwards, she was heading out the door, clad in a light blue tank top and black jeans. The streets were mostly empty that early in the morning. And so, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jeans, she decided to go for a walk. She was hopeful. Maybe someone would attack her, and she would find herself in a fight that while being short would provide some entertainment. That never happened. She found herself at the mall, but it wasn't open just yet. A half hour of almost mindless wandering brought her to this store called 'Magic Box'. "What kind of cheesy store is this?"

Glancing to the right, she noted the wooden benches sitting outside and how blinds kept any passing observer from seeing anything. "Nice. Guess a gal's gotta go in to see anything." She turned the doorknob and pushed inwards, her face screwing up at the sound of a bell ringing; and she decided right away that she detested it. _Lame, but I don't have too many options._ A blonde was standing at the counter and sprung into motion as soon as Faith's foot entered the door.

"Hello! Greetings and welcome to the Magic Box." The blonde smiled goofily, her hands clasped in front of her. Faith was taken aback. She half expected this woman to start bouncing in place, appearing that happy. "How may I help you spend your money?"

"Uhh."

"Wait a minute. I know you!" Faith quickly backed up. "I do know you, don't I?" The blonde's gaze turned predatory. "You're the one who tried to kill Buffy!" A low laugh followed. "I'm not surprised you would show up here after what happened." Faith was starting to feel tendrils of unease and chills down her back. "Came to gloat didn't you?" Faith didn't respond, instead turning around and quickly leaving. Once outside, she started the one thing she was currently sure to be good at. She ran. The world tilted slightly on its axis.

Near Noontime…

A blink, bringing focus back into a pair of brown eyes. _Where am I?_ She wondered. She'd tried to piece together what had happened. Things had been okay. A little dull, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. She had wandered around the town for a time and then…_There._ She remembered the blonde she'd talked to, how angry the woman suddenly seemed to get at her, that mocking laughter. Her world had become cloudy. Lifting both hands, she rubbed them over her eyes. She then came to the realization that she was sitting in down and slowly rose to her feet. Her fingers sunk into the dirt underneath. Faith turned around slowly, wiping her hands off on the back of her jeans. _Wow. B's place. I musta really been outta it!_

Strangely, the place still looked good, someone was tending to the yard and everything. "Maybe she sold it?" She wouldn't have been surprised if that happened. After all, with Buffy gone and her mom dead, there wouldn't be a real need for anyone to keep the house. She remembered the day she'd learned of it. Angel had come to visit her and they talked, the conversation inevitably trailing back to Buffy. She'd felt a pang of jealousy even then for the blonde Slayer. At least Buffy had a mother worthy enough to miss. Faith felt nothing but distaste and a pang of what could have been familial love, had it been nourished. She hadn't seen her mother in years. Didn't even know if the woman was still alive. Her mother hadn't bothered to look for her, and she'd done the same, afraid or ashamed of what she might find.

"Why the fuck am I here anyways?" She felt a flick, like a light switch being flipped on in her head. "Oh that's right. Only one. Save the world. Blah blah blah." So why was she still standing outside of Buffy's former home? There was no reason to it; no way she could logically justify her continuing to stand in place. Holding to that thought firmly, she turned, about to leave when she heard the door open. While she was just standing there, she decided, she could at least get a peek at who owned the house now. A teenager stepped out the door, her head turned to speak to someone behind her.

"Take care, my sister who is Dawn!"

"Take care Buffy," There was a catch in her voice that befuddled Faith. Just what was going on here. First that insane woman in the store and now Dawn was upset. _Wait a second…_Faith thought. _I don't know a—Yeah, I do know Dawn, don't I?_ Something about her not remembering the teenager seemed entirely wrong. She had just been thinking about Joyce and Buffy Summers, hadn't she? So why hadn't she thought about the kid too? "I'll be back soon okay!"

"Have fun at the building of learning and teaching!"

"Buffy, it's not a school day, remember? It's Summer!"

"Oh." Dawn sighed.

"I'm going out with my friends to hang around a bit before the fireworks tonight," She was quiet for a second. "Be careful. Don't pick up the phone and don't let anyone in." She turned and started down the stairs.

"Dawn?"

"Yeah?" The girl looked back at Buffy--the robot again.

"I love you Dawn. Because you're my sister! Come back soon." There was a sniffle, one that Faith was sure came from Dawn, and then the teen bounded back up the few steps and flung her arms around the robot, hugging tightly. The bot just stared into space, not returning the gesture. Faith suddenly felt like she was intruding on something very private and took her leave. _Doesn't make much sense._ She thought. _She acted so crushed about having that-that thing there._ She bit her lip. _Then why did she have it?_

**Next Chapter:** _Just WHY did Buffy allow herself to be replaced by a robot? Why is Dawn so clingy with it? And why the hell didn't anyone call Faith after Buffy skipped town?_


	3. Unwanted Promotions

**Disclaimer: **_Buffy: the Vampire Slayer is not mine. I wish it was, but feh. Actually, I might just want Faith: the Kickass Vampire Slayer. Ah well._

**Author's Note:** _Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy with my job and my classes. ARG!_

**Summary: **_Bar room type brawls but not in a bar and 'oops' scenarios._

**The cat might just be out of the bag now**_…And let us all say a collective: "Oh crap!"_

"I love you Dawn. Because you're my sister! Come back soon." There was a sniffle, one that Faith was sure came from Dawn, and then the teen bounded back up the few steps and flung her arms around the robot, hugging tightly. The bot just stared into space, not returning the gesture. Faith suddenly felt like she was intruding on something very private and took her leave. _Doesn't make much sense._ She thought. _She acted so crushed about having that-that thing there._ She bit her lip. _Then why did she have it?_

4 pm in the evening

Faith was quiet as she sat within the Espresso Pump. Fingers steepled in front of her, she leaned more heavily into the table with her elbows. A chilled mug of green tea sad in front of her. A server came over to her, which she ignored again. She made no sound and hadn't done much more than twitching in the past hour.

Her mind kept repeating the same things. That bot, the bot that Dawn was hugging. A puzzling feeling of wrongness at not recognizing the kid at first, and the events of the previous hour. The memories were like a broken record. She'd just finished her first mug of tea and was waiting for a second when Dawn and her motley crew of friends came in. Something was off though. She didn't acknowledge it right away because it was so faint. Her second mug arrived, and she readily picked it up, eager for a sip of the relaxing brew.

There it was again, except this time, she could tell what she was seeing. Or wasn't seeing. Her hand was poised over the cup's handle. Her dark brows lifted as she gazed at Dawn again, this time through slightly different eyes. A trick of the light she would have loved to claim it to be, but that wasn't possible. Dawn didn't seem like the type to try any magical mumbo jumbo. So why could she see through the kid? It didn't make any sense.

Brown eyes clenched shut tightly and she shook her head. She waited a moment, then reopened her eyes and looked over. Everything once more seemed right in her world. Except…Her attention returned to her mug. Except…Feeling eyes on her, Faith looked up to see Dawn quickly ushering her friends out the door. The teen directed a disgusted gaze her way and headed out. Slumping down in her seat, a hand lifted and pinched the bridge of her nose. Glancing into her mug, she spoke to her reflection.

"Lehane. Your name is Faith Lehane and you're going insane." She chuckled slightly and sighed. _I'm going crazy._ Resting her elbows on the table, she continued her train of thought. _Not like that was unexpected._

The 'peaceful reverie' was broken by a shadow that appeared over her suddenly. Snapping from her trance, she slowly tilted her head up. A tall and well muscled man stood there, long dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Dark, almost black eyes gazed at her. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans that seemed almost too tight, and scuffed up brown boots. The most notable feature of him, however, was the black leather biker jacket he wore. _Of all of the…_ Checking, she noted that yes she was still in the Espresso Pump. _Well I know I'm not in a biker bar, so why the hell--_

"Hey little lady. Whatcha say we get to know one another?" Her dark eyes narrowed to slits. Why was this leather bound, wall of muscle talking to her?

"Let me think about it." The man seemed to be smoothing out his jacket, the answer she'd given him already sounding like 'yes' to his ears. "Okay," Her words, coming on so suddenly, grabbed his attention. "I've got it." She lifted her right hand, only her middle finger extended. "Fuck off!" The man took considerable offense to this.

"Now hold on a second there lil missy…"

"How about not?" Peace having now evaded her, she rose to leave. The biker reached out and grabbed her right arm with his left hand. He leaned over a bit to address her, his face scrunching up.

"I don't think you understand what I was say--" Faith cocked her fist and punched the man right in the center of his snarling face. He bellowed in alarm, releasing her, putting both hands to his bloody nose.

"Ya broke my danged nose, you bitch!" His lightly tanned skin was beginning to turn red. She smirked and was ready when he swung his left fist at her. Faith lifted one arm, deflecting the blow with her forearm. This time, her fist hit him square in the belly. He doubled over, only to find himself on the receiving end of a vicious right hook. Saliva, a tooth and plenty of blood flew out of his mouth, along with a howl of pain. He'd _almost_ been hit hard enough to break his jaw. By now, most of the patrons inside the café were getting up or had already started running for the exit.

Faith backed off and the biker stupidly tried to punch her again, this time with his right fist. His efforts were predictable and very sloppy. Instead of completely ducking out of the way, she caught his fist with her right hand and squeezed. And kept on squeezing…as his eyes first widened in alarm, watching as alarm transformed into fear. Faith heard the bones of his hands crack, under the unbelievable pressure, and she crushed his fingers as well in the process. Twisting his fist sharply the wrong way produced a satisfying snap. Then, she let go.

The biker knelt on the floor, sobbing, blubbering like a child as he held his broken hand and wrist. Faith knelt in front of him. "Hurts, doesn't it?" The man nodded, snot coming out of his nose and blood dripping off his chin. "Remember this," She said, reaching out to cup his chin. "Remember me," Dark brown eyes drilled into his. "Pull that shit again; it'll be more than the hand. Got me?" He trembled. Faith smiled and pat his cheek twice, rose and turned, walking out of the Espresso Pump.

Fireworks Show – 8 pm

A can of beer in one hand, Faith purposefully walked down the street, now fully grasping the significance of the day. It was the Fourth of July, a day to be celebrating Independence. And yet…Taking a sip from the bottle, Faith allowed her eyes to wander. People were walking along the same side of the street as her. Some looked at her disapprovingly, guessing her to be pretty young and yet daring to drink alcohol outside. Others, saw her drinking out as a blatantly breaking the law. This was amusing to her because most of them would be doing the same later, only they would be calling it 'celebrating'. These people, all of them unaware at what kind of danger they put themselves in just being outside at this time of night. To them, she was probably a young drunk, but to her, they were all defenseless. And she alone was able to fight off what might be lurking, hopeful for a bite to eat.

All hope was truly loss then. "To Freedom." She stopped walking, making a slight salute with her can and tilted her head a little, dragging more of the beer out.

"Oh my God…" Blinking, she lowered the can and turned her head, seeing Dawn and her gang of friends along with the Scoobies and disturbingly…Buffy as well. All of them staring at her. _No!_ She scolded herself. _That's not the real Buffy!_ Ignoring, or attempting to ignore her inner turmoil, she directed a stare right back at them.

"What?" Before, Faith could fully get the word out, Willow stepped forward, her hands planted on her hips.

"Why are you here Faith? To gloat?" In response, the brunette tilted her head, her eyes catching sight of the blonde woman who had yelled a similar phrase earlier.

"What exactly would I be rodomontading about?" She fought back a smirk as Willow's green eyes widened. _Didn't think I knew any of them educated words, did ya Red?_ While the redhead still had her mouth hanging open in shock, Faith looked over at the bot. "Hey B." Suddenly, Faith became aware of everyone seemingly holding their breath.

"Hello person I do not know." Despite the fact that she'd heard something similar the previous night, it didn't erase the sudden chill the words left in their wake. Faith laughed softly and fully turned to face the Scoobies.

"Ya know, I can understand you all not liking me and everything, but if you knew Buffy was going to be leaving, why the hell didn't you contact me, huh?" Her dark eyes glistened. Willow, her cheese reddened from embarrassment, started to become angry. Before she could make a retort, Faith cut her off. "You what?" She tensed her jaw. "I'm glad Buffy got out of this town. I'm sure she's having fun out wherever she is." _Maybe I should go back to Boston…_ "B's probably gotten into a great college and all that shit. Having fun at keggers and--" Faith was cut off with a slap to the face.

"How dare you…"

"Dawn!" Xander moved to restrain the teenager, all while keeping a weary eye on Faith.

"Chill Xander. It's no problem. Otherwise…well you get the point." Regardless, Faith eyed the teenager. Dawn, feeling unsure about the wisdom of her decision, backed off. Seeing the dark slayer pull out a stake put her on edge. "So you've got a backup. And so do I." She stretched and tossed her can of beer to the side, the liquid splashing on the sidewalk. "I got places to go, things to slay, people to do." That said, she turned on her heel and walked away. After a beat, Willow spoke.

"She doesn't know, does she?"

"I don't think so…" The redhead heard as arms wrapped around her middle.

"How can't she, Tara?"

"Because she was called before all this happened."…

In The Cemetery

Faith found an easy release in fighting a lone vampire. Strangely, not too many were out tonight. To her surprise, the vampire managed to get the upper hand and flipped her onto a fresh grave, causing her to lose her grip on her stake. Gritting her teeth, Faith reached up and snapped the vampire's neck. Reaching over, she quickly regained her stake and stabbed the vampire through the heart.

Coughing as the dust settled, she rolled to her knees and moved to get up, when something caught her attention. The tombstone…She reached up with one hand and followed the words as she spoke them aloud, unable to believe it: "Buffy Anne Summers 1981-2001. Devoted Sister. Devoted Friend. She Save The World A Lot." The bot wasn't to replace Buffy because she'd left SunnyDale…it was because she died. Faith gasped. Her mind was on overload and none of this was making sense anymore. _SunnyD's all mine now…_ Tears began to well up in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks.

**Next Chapter:**_ Once bitten, twice shy. Just how does Faith react to news of Buffy's death? And will she ever find out why no one ever called for her? Just how valuable is a slayer when compared to a robot? Find out in the next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4: Agony in the 'Garden'

**Disclaimer:**_ Again, I'll restate that I did not write 'Buffy: the Vampire slayer', but had I…I would have had things a bit different. Hehehe._

**Author's Note:**_ I said I'd update soon, didn't I? Thank you all so much for being patient._

_ MachaBadb_

**Author's Note 2: **_My LJ and DJ are now actually active. If you have any questions, look me up, hmm? Links are on my author's page here._

**Summary:** **The secret's out! Now…**_just what will be done about it?_

_She's dead…She's dead. And no one told me why…_ For quite a long time Faith remained where she knelt. Her dark eyes stayed open and unblinking. _So here I am you know, staring at a grave. Same one, but reading the stone – really reading it this time. Really not liking what it says either._ Finally, a weak laugh came from her, but it tattered off after a while and she grew silent again, blinking at long last. "This…this shit don't make sense, B." _Made sense before. 'Hey, B split. Means Sunny D's mine and maybe I'll get respect.' But dead? Means she's gone forever._ She sat down then, continuing to speak. "We're slayers B. You and me! We don't die. We don't! You…You can't." Her vision blurred then and she curled up on her side on the grave. Sweat broke out on her skin and she wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. She began to sob then, her tears soaking the ground under her. Inside, Faith began to grow cold. And there, lying on the cold grave, she fell into a tortured sleep.

Midnight…

A soft breath woke Faith. However, nothing was there as she lifted her head. She still lay on the grave and sat up, hearing rustling in the graveyard. Rubbing her eyes with the back of one hand, the other curled around the solid wood of her stake. "Come out and get you some!" She called. The wind did nothing much in response, instead carrying over the scent of dying fireworks – those being the reminders that today was supposed to have been a good one. A happy one, filled with laughter and friends. Her sharp ears picked up the sound of a few fireworks still burning, though the ground wasn't yet too dry. Sighing, she shook her head. She didn't have friends. She truly had no one now.

Again, that soft breath…closer. She whirled around and came face to face with nothing yet again. She heard another noise in the graveyard and began jogging towards it. Her direction changed as she heard soft laughter further to the left. "Shit's not funny!" Faith was beginning to suspect that this was the work of more than a few little kids out playing a prank now.

"On the contrary." The brunette spun at the sound of a voice and came face to face with herself. "I think it's a scream." Her eyes widened and she fell back a step. Strangely satisfied, 'herself' walked up to her.

Outside the Graveyard…

"There's something to be said about coffee." Xander mumbled, bouncing a little on his toes. Or making a valiant effort to. He was holding a stake in his right hand and did not exactly look like he was fully at the ready. Despite this, he was trying to pay close attention to their surroundings, his liquid brown eyes carefully scanning around as they walked. He still wore the cargo pants and white t-shirt from earlier. The look was completed with a pair of brown sandals. Momentarily, he glanced over to his left at the soft hum of agreement.

"Yes. Coffee is good. Very good." Willow, walking at his side, spoke. In her hands rested a mug of the stuff. Her eyes were half closed and she looked like she wanted to drop. The occasional nudge kept her upright, however, as well as the brew she was swallowing. "Wish the _Pump_ was open." She grumbled, sounding irritable. She lifted the mug to her lips and drank down another sip. The short sleeved yellow shirt she wore tugged a little at the seams, and with the way she held herself, her arms appeared to be plastered to her sides. The cuffs of her blue jeans hung below the white sneakers she wore and steadily dragged dirt along as she walked. Xander had been tempted to point this out for some time, knowing how obsessed his friend could be about being neat but wisely changed his mind.

"I don't know. I like tea more." The redhead gazed to the blonde to her right. Tara blushed under the sudden attention, her arms crossed and one hand nervously tugging on a sleeve of the gray blouse she wore. She walked quickly and looked more alert than the other two. She too wore blue jeans and a pair of white sneakers. "What? J-Just because you like coffee, it doesn't mean I have to too." That earned her a smile.

"You said tutu." Willow observed, enjoying the liberal flush that crawled over Tara again.

Chuckling, Tara moved closer to the redhead, tugging on Willow's yellow shirt to help keep her awake. "Besides, y-you k-know the Pump is closed this time of night."

"Regardless, we need the energy." Xander sighed. His eyes were droopy and tired as was the rest of his body. "Really need the energy." Willow made a non-committal sound, once again drinking from her mug. "So…How goes the bot?" This got her attention and she looked over at him and then over her shoulder to the bot in question, that easily kept step with all of them. Of the four of them, the most oblivious one -- the Buffybot was the most alert. The redhead's mouth curved up a little on the right at that thought.

"Good. Good. The problem yesterday -- according to my first diagnostic run – was a lack of charge in her battery and nothing else like I had feared." She heard Xander sigh in relief and added. "I just need to run a second diagnostic after we patrol with her tonight and then we can send her back out by herself again."

"And get sleep?" Xander muttered in question, successfully stifling a yawn.

"Yes. Tasty sleep." Willow was not as successful as her friend and yawned widely, moving one hand to rub at the sudden wetness that sprung to her eyes as a result.

"W-Willow?" Those green eyes turned to Tara again. "If…if-if the problem was with the battery being charged?…then why are we out with the Buffybot? I m-mean…" Tara faltered momentarily. "I-Isn't the problem taken care of? The bot was charging all day wasn't it? And why a second d-diagnostic?" Willow smiled and responded.

"It's just a precaution, because I'm not exactly entirely sure that the problem was solely with her not being charged. The first test could have missed something wrong with another of her systems. Buffybot's power lights were definitely on green before we left today though." Tara lightly furrowed her brows, listening closely. "The design made on the bot… there are individual sections that have backup batteries if you could call them that. However, they get their charge from the main battery. If Buffybot were left uncharged for about four days, her backup batteries would start running out of power and her systems would begin shutting down to save power…starting with the least important." Taking another sip from her mug, she continued. "The second diagnostic…hopefully will just say that she was uncharged then is all. I'm sure it'll say that. A run through the graveyard for tonight shouldn't drain her much at all…but to be on the safe side, I'll check her power levels when we get back." Though, if she was honest to herself, she didn't believe it was her forgetting to charge the bot. She hoped it wasn't the battery itself. And if there was a problem with it, she was beginning to fear a serious problem if the battery couldn't hold full charges anymore.

"Oh!" Xander seemed to gain strength from his friend's words and lengthened his stride, unaware of her inner turmoil. "Will, that's fan--"

Graveyard…

"Fucking fantastic! Just great!" Faith eyed her double as the woman began walking around her. It was strange. She was wearing the exact same clothing that Faith was. But something about her eyes was wrong. Those eyes…they looked how she felt inside. Cold. So cold. And empty. "We always thought she was a smart woman…or hoped she was, but this time she fucked up. Big!" A dark brow arched at the words and Faith spoke up.

"What are you talking about?" This made the double pause. She seemed to consider the question for a while and then began laughing. Faith was surprised and it made her pause, a nonplussed expression on her face. "What?" Her confusion only grew as the double's laughter hardened. The other woman actually laughed so hard she began to bend at the waist. "Fuck you!" That stopped the sound, if only for a moment.

"We already are fucked up Faithy. You know this." Unnerving would have summed up her expression. Laughter danced in her eyes. Those lips smiled oh-so-mockingly. It made Faith want to kick in a few of that mouth's teeth – despite the fact that it looked like her own. "We're nothing but a joke and Buffy fucked this town over." The pacing resumed. Blinking, the brunette went on the defensive. Clone, her robotic double or whatever this thing was…it wasn't going to bad mouth Buffy, especially since the blonde wasn't around to defend herself. "You know it. I know it. Our…girlfriends from the block…" Faith stiffened at that one. "Oh, did I hit a soft spot?"

"No." Despite her words, her hands were tightly clenched…balled into fists. The urge to attack became ever stronger, but she knew…it would all be for naught. As far as she was aware, this woman with the laughing eyes was merely a figment of her imagination. "I doubt B would have wanted to die." Slowly, she uncurled her fists and tried to relax her shoulders. _As I remember it, she was struggling to live…despite what being a Slayer meant in the end._

"But she did…and look what happened to poor SunnyDale as a result. Now it has us." Grinning, the double stopped her pacing and then walked up to Faith, cupping her chin. "Just us." She lightly squeezed Faith's jaw and shook her head. "That was a mistake."

"But--"

"Who would trust the safety of so many in the hands of someone so incapable of protecting them? Hmm? Come on Faith, you know what I'm talking about here." Brown eyes began to narrow. "That's it…it seems we have an understanding." There was a pause. "Good. Means at least part of our mind's working." Swallowing, Faith spoke.

"Who are you?" The woman stared at Faith then, lifting both of her brows. She was still… So still and quiet that Faith thought she could merely step back and nothing would happen. A blink and she knew her double was still with her and looking at her. The gaze was almost accusatory, irritated and slightly angry.

"I am **you** Faith. I am what makes you who and _what_ you are. You are such a disappointment to me…to us."

"Us?" The hand gripping her jaw moved to stroke her cheek. The second hand rose in the field of her vision and she fought the urge to brush it away, knowing such an action would be a wasted one. The hand rested on the opposite side of her face. The expression on the other her was solemn, almost sad.

"Yes. We had such hopes and dreams to be something better. Something…bigger than what we are. What we were was nothing to be proud of Faith." As she spoke, the double moved her face closer and closer. "What we are is nothing…nothing at all." She lightly brushed her bottom lip against Faith's, eliciting a soft moan. "We just are…is all." Feeling her mouth go dry, Faith stared into that unwavering gaze, lightly licking her bottom lip. More tears began to sting her eyes. "How could we have ever expected her to look at us favorably?" The woman grinned, and Faith lowered her eyes, looking away. "Mmm. I like those." Tilting her chin, she pressed her mouth to Faith's forehead and then gently licked the tears from under her eyes. "You'll have to learn Faith," Her voice lowered to a whisper. "All you have is me. That's not so bad is it?" The double then drew Faith into a kiss. Whimpering, Faith increased the contact, wrapping her arms around her double. The double's hands slid away from her face then, grabbing handfuls of her rear and pulled her close.

Elsewhere in the Graveyard…

A soul wrenching howl rose throughout the graveyard. The vampires who heard it actually paused, because they understood…or recognized perhaps… the source of such a sound. And even the threat of being staked, if they did not move, phased them. Some of them even looked bored or merely surprised to see a wooden stake protruding from their chests.

"Willow…"

"Xander…" Blinking, the two looked at each other and then back towards another section of the graveyard, noticing someone running a distance away. Dust swirled around their feet from the latest vampire killing.

"Tara." Both sets of eyes turned to the blonde, who blushed. "S-Sorry." She smiled. "W-What did you see?"

"Someone…someone's in trouble."

"I-I'll say here." Willow's eyes widened and she opened her mouth. "No. I'll b-be fine Willow. I know that light spell just in case anything happens."

"If you're sure…" She didn't want to leave her love behind.

"I'm sure. Now go. Whomever that was might be in serious trouble."

Deeper in the Graveyard…

Faith stood alone, facing the grave. Her bare arms were wrapped around her waist, empty eyes staring straight ahead. For the longest time…seconds -- moments crawled past with her remaining rigidly still. The only sign of her being alive was her chest moving ever so often with a breath. Other than that, she was stone. Locked away tightly in her mind… It seemed better than facing the harsh reality that she stood before. Slowly, she rocked back and forth at the waist. A cold wind blew past, ruffling her hair and the material of her shirt. It made her pause, eyes squeezing shut for a moment. A soft whimper escaped her, those eyes clenching even tighter. When she opened her eyes, she glanced into the nearly black sky, her arms swinging down to her sides.

While standing around oblivious in a graveyard and unarmed wasn't a good idea, currently she did not care. Had she ever cared about anything? Truly? Watery brown eyes looked to the moon; in that short span of time, someone had been born and someone had died. It made her feel so small in comparison. And yet, she had never expected to come here and find that someone special had died. Someone important to her. Death was only for the old, wasn't it? The old and the foolish. But…it had happened. She couldn't change it. Again, tears stung in the back of her eyes. Doubts and disappointments swirled about in her head. Maybe if she'd gotten back earlier. Maybe if she'd been there…

_It could have all ended the same_… She reminded herself, closing her eyes. _And since when do I ever do heroics? B was a hero…not me._ Her face crumbled, tears beginning to squeeze from under her lashes. Tracing down her cheeks, they dripped down to the ground. Her knees buckled then. And there, sitting just outside the fresh grave, she surrendered to her tears again. "Come back to me… please!" She spoke, her voice breaking. "Buffy!" She cried, her hands grasping handfuls of dirt. "It wasn't supposed to be this way!" She wailed, a new wave of hot tears streaming from her reddened eyes. "I was gonna. Gonna tell you…" And so she lay, finally just screaming her pain into the uncaring wind. The sound coming from her throat was raw and uncontained agony. She felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. She screamed for all the times they'd fought and before…when Buffy had welcomed her with open arms and times she should have tried harder. She cried for the betrayal she'd suffered at the hands of her Watcher and the foolish -- childish way she'd reacted. She'd sought revenge and at one point stated she'd wanted Buffy dead. But it wasn't that at all…and now she would never get the change to say she was sorry.

_Get up…_ She pleaded with herself. Faith could not continue to sit around as she was. Otherwise, she'd be prey to any freshly risen vampire that staggered by. And though she fought it, she rose to her feet. _Get moving._ She took one step, and then another stopped. The sound of combat filtered into her senses, her still wet eyes turning towards it. There, in the distance, was a very familiar shape moving. It was the bot…

Sorrow and despair was being replaced with anger. They'd taken Buffy's form and tried to replace her in plastic, wires and metal. As if robot could _ever_ be a substitute for the real Buffy. And why had they never told her? Torn between rage and grief, she turned on her heel and began running. Away from Buffy's tombstone, the graveyard and herself.

**Next Chapter:** _Everyone copes with loss in different ways. But some methods of coping are more dangerous than others…_


	5. Chapter 5: Destined

**Disclaimer:** I do not now nor have I ever owned Buffy: the Vampire slayer. Though I severely DO wish on the one hand that I owned the character of Faith Lehane. I also realize that in doing so, the character would have been slightly to significantly different than she was on the show. So in closing, I don't own them. Wish I did, but I don't.

**Author Note Spasms:** I've just been very depressed with my writing...and my life in general. As such, I haven't felt like even bothering. Sorry if anyone's mad at me. I'll try to update more often in the future.

**Where we are so far:...** _SunnyDale seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, or so is the belief of one Faith, now the ONLY vampire slayer. Though she had wished for such an opportunity, she hadn't expected it quite the way she got it._

**Destined**

_Life was a funny thing, or so according to The Powers That Be. Life was no gift, nothing to cherish for them. Instead, lives were things they used as pieces on a chess board, moving and knocking others over when they grew tired with them. The Powers must also be immortal, thoughtless and severely bored. And they must have not been paying attention. _Faith kept up an even pace as she ran from the cemetery. _Otherwise, they coulda seen the big mistake they let happen. Or did they want that? Did they even..._ She let her train of thought trail off for a short while. There were still puddles on the ground from the rain the two days past, and she splashed through them without a care. She slowed down eventually, looking over her shoulder and turning around. Spreading her arms wide, she stared up into the heavens above. The sky was unusually dark, the moon nearly obscured by fat clouds that passed over it from time to time. _Don't most omnipotent beings pay attention to the sheer havoc they cause? I thought it was merely kicks for them. With the way my life's heading, I know it must be a joke of some sort. Because if this shit's serious, I gotta tell them..._ Sighing, she lowered her arms and resumed her running. With any chance, if she ran fast enough, she might run right out of this nightmare.

In a lot of ways, her life and times in good ole SunnyD had been the kind of stuff that comic books and cartoons were made of. Except for the good guys seeming to be mostly girls and not just ordinary girls but the kind that had super powers and fought alone against the forces of darkness and evil. Then, there was Faith, the antisuperhero who was a good guy in theory, but went to the dark side because it seemed more appealing. Plus, some of the members had actually seemed to care about her wellbeing. The original bad guys literally being guys, a bulk of them being undead beasties that were easily rid of without the risk of leaving blood and other bodily fluids on the carpet. Nope. No mess, just the need to use a vacuum. Then there were the more sinister bad guys. The kind that tried to take over the world, or kill everyone trying. Another thing that made this reality different was the heroes unexpectedly dying. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Afterall, even Superman had died at least once, but hadn't he come back at the end? It wouldn't have been a Superman comic if someone were to, in all honesty, kill off the main character.

And why was she applying comic book nuances to real life? _Because it makes me feel better. I'm supposed to be detached from this to begin with. Buffy seems to have not been given the same song and dance, but I was. _Though it made no sense. She was also told that she was Chosen. Something far better than a potential slayer. A Chosen was simply that. The one girl in all of the world who was chosen to fight the monsters that haunted the lives of everyday people. Being that meant that she was not only important, but she was powerful. If she were honest with herself, she would agree that at times, she had let that knowledge get to her head; those days were long over now. She knew something they never fully realized with comic book heroes. Of course, they showed the bad sides of the heroes at times. Spiderman was really an 'ordinary' man who gains extraordinary abilities and runs around in a costume that covers him from head to toe. Superman is an alien who disguises himself as a regular guy with a pair of glasses. Which of course had to have been the most pathetic and lame excuse for a disguise ever invented, as anyone with even half a working braincell could have figured out that maybe...JUST maybe... Clark Kent was Superman.

Yet again, her mind was wandering severely off course. Slowing herself to a stop, she bent at the waist taking the time to catch and even her breathing. She was being irresponsible, not paying attention where she was going so late at night. That thought brought her up short. Since when, in Faith's grand scheme of things, had the word responsible ever popped up_? Great. Now B's personality seems to have rubbed off_... The thought brought a faint smile to her lips, but it faded faster than it had appeared.Were she more distracted, she still wouldn't have missed the sound of the vampire coming up behind her. Whirling around, she faced the vampire then, stake at the ready. Faith faltered then, noticing the vampire didn't seem to be attacking. And that this was a female vampire. The woman appeared to be scared and lost. Worst of all, she was dressed in a wedding gown, a bouquet full of dead flowers clutched in her right hand.

"Help me." She murmured, looking at Faith unsteadily. "Please." She looked so pathetic that Faith immediately wanted to reassure her that everything would be alright. "So...hungry!" Time seemed to slow as the bride tossed away her bouquet then, the remaining blackened petals of the flowers there finally falling from their stems. With a roar, the vampire leapt at Faith. _Of course._ The brunette's mind numbly intoned. Her expression relaxed into one of boredom and she waited just for the right moment. And then, she backflipped out of the vampire's path, executing a strong kick to the left side of the woman's face. Momentarily stunned, the bride halted in her steps. A throaty chuckle from Faith drew her attention. The brunette was crouched on the ground and deftly slid her stake into the side of a boot. Rising to her feet, Faith planted her hands on her hips. She was irritated by now, both by the recent revelations and by her own reaction to them. It, simply put, was not fair. She hadn't wanted Buffy to die, but it'd happened; she needed to get over it and get with the program, or things in her life would be even harder than they already were. Like this for instance. Faith's face began to take on a look of distaste, not only for herself, but towards the vampire.

It had been luck this time, sheer luck, that had kept her out of harm's way. Because the next time she was inattentive, it could be something significantly worse. Sizing up her adversary, Faith let another chuckle escape and took on a challenging pose. It was official now, she was in this for a fight, not an easy slaughter. "Come on!" She yelled to the vampire, who was now looking her over carefully. Hearing her words, the vampire paused, warily. She was confused. Wasn't prey supposed to run? There was something strange about this human. "Bring it on suck-face!"

Anger crossed the vampire's face and Faith knew she had her then. The bride ran at her then, swiping out angrily with her hands, trying to scratch Faith. But the woman merely ducked out of the way. Another swipe and Faith smoothly dodged to the right, twisting her upper body sharply to the left as she delivered a right cross to the bride's cheek. It was so unnervingly easy. The vampire threw another open handed swipe, hoping to catch Faith with her nails. It didn't work and Faith ducked again. Tensing the muscles in her legs, she powered herself forward and using her shoulder behind it, tackled the vampire to the ground. Kneeling now over the vampire, Faith locked her hands around the vampire's throat and began to squeeze. "You know what makes me so sick of you?" The vampire hissed, trying to squirm free. "You _things_ crawl over this city at night. All by your lonesome." Her grip tightened. "Never with a care in the world." Shifting her grip to only one hand, Faith drew her fist back and began to punch the vampire in the face. "You don't care if someone you kill had a family."

Now the creature was guarding itself, or trying to. Faith moved her hand back down swiftly and gripping the vampire's neck, she pulled the woman's head up towards her, only to slam it into the muddy ground. "None of you care who you hurt." Sneering now, Faith smacked the vampire headfirst into the ground again. "Do you?" At that instant, the vampire managed to gain some momentum and deftly flipped Faith over her head. The brunette landed on her back, but swiftly rolled to the left as the vampire attempted to pounce on her. She wasn't fast enough however and heard the impact of the vampire's fist before she felt it.

A stab of pain then, as the delicate tissues of her lip split and blood spilled. Regardless, she rolled to her feet then, eyeing the vampire. A slow, lazy grin crossed Faith's mouth, in spite of the pain it caused. "That all you got?" Her grin widened at the animosity on the undead's face. Smirking, Faith lifted her right hand, the middle finger extended. "Want me to stand still so you can stumble over yourself to bite me?" A enraged howl came from the bride before she threw herself at Faith once more.

Four Cemeteries Over...

"Umm..." A man was kneeling on the ground, one arm wrapped around his middle while he seemed to be bracing himself on the other. He coughed a few times, spitting into a viscus puddle in front of him.

"I think it's a dead end, Xander." Willow murmured. With a groan, he spit one last time. Settling back, he let his eyes wander briefly, noting that he was still kneeling on the ground in front of a grave. Next to it was another puddle, though it was too dark outside to tell what it was and he'd unfortunately ended up being the one to check. With a frown, Willow offered her hand to help her sick friend back to his feet.

"Maybe. Someone else was out here." Grudgingly, he accepted the help, though it embarrassed him a little. Once his footing was steady, as well as his balance, he shook one of his feet and decided that sandals should never be used to walk in certain places. The two friends had been carefully searching through the cemetery to find the source of the screams, but had come up completely empty handed. That is until Xander stepped in something that was both wet and sticky. He had stopped then and knelt to examine it. Initially believing it to be blood, Xander had lowered his hand to the fluid. Afterall, it was on his right foot and not burning. One whiff of it and he barely had time to turn away before losing the contents of his stomach.

"Well yeah. The...whatever that was...was a hint. But who? There's no sign of anyone." Willow asked. The redhead had been surprised to hear her friend retching miserably on the ground, but she wisely chose not to examine his discovery herself. She was certainly glad when his dry heaves had stopped because it had given her a case of sympathetic nausea.

"I've no clue, Will. Maybe it was another case for a dirt devil."

"A vampire? I doubt it..." The redhead muttered, growing quiet. After a moment, she spoke again. "Should we keep searching?" Xander looked at his friend and frowned, rubbing his sore stomach. "I mean if you don't want to or don't feel up to it, we don't have to." Before Xander had a chance to respond, Willow began talking again. "I mean, you shouldn't have to. We're all out here looking for the eeee and you're all with the blauugh and it's very much of the ick and--"

"We should probably head back because Tara's stayed behind. Remember?" Willow nodded and her eyes grew large. Xander wanted to smack himself in the head for even mentioning it, because Willow looked like she was panicking.

"Oh Goddess! Goddess! Tara baby!" Her voice nearly cracked and was suddenly coming out in a rush and she made 'move' motions with her hands, as if willing Xander to move faster. Then, when he didn't seem to be moving fast enough, she actually started pushing him along. "Hurry! We need to get back! What if she wandered off while we were away? What if she was kidnapped or eaten? Oh, I don't think I'll be able to handle the idea of having to stake my--" Yup, Willow was most definitely running for full panic-babble mode. Xander had to put a stop to this, and he knew exactly how.

Raising his voice a little and deepening it, he bellowed. "Willow Danielle Rosenberg!" That stopped her cold. It was the same tone her father used when trying to get her attention and it worked every time. Noticing that she looked very unsettled, he softened his voice. "Calm down, alright, Will? Let's just head back. I'm sure everthing's fine. Tara can take care of herself. And she did tell us to go on without her, remember?" He watched Willow morosely nod and chuckled. "Besides, it's not that far and if something had happened, she would have called. Or been over here." A small twinkle entered her eyes. "Let's go, but less shoving." He grinned at the guilty look on her face.

"Yeah, let's go. We can look at more dusty mausoleums tomorrow."

Elsewhere...

Blinking and trying to open her eyes fully, Tara slowly came to awareness. Her hands were being held next to her head and her legs were shoulder width apart. Trying to move soon proved itself to be wasted as her efforts were rewarded with something blocking the way. Realizing that she was being restrained, she struggled against the bonds that held her to a table of some sort. Rattling noises and the cold feeling engulfing her wrists let her know they were chains. The room she was held captive in was dark, save for a sliver of moonlight that reached her eyes through a covered window. The window...that was enough to let her know that she was in a building of some sort. Hopefully. A house maybe? Someone's basement? She didn't need to see herself to know she'd been beaten pretty badly. Just by lightly tensing the muscles in her face, she could tell that she had bruising. Her left eye was swollen shut and she tasted blood in her mouth. Experimentally, she opened her mouth and licked her bottom lip. Tara tasted blood and the lip seemed swollen.

The feeling of cold crept over her body and she tried to lift her head carefully, curious as to what was happening. What she saw instead were the twin peaks of her breasts -- her very _bare_ breasts. She needed not look further to know the rest of her was in a state of undress. Sniffling, she knew she was in trouble. Something that she blamed on herself. When Willow had hesitated to leave, she should have just accepted and gone with them. No, she had to stay behind. Tara berated herself. She hadn't paid attention like she should have. Inside her head, there was a search for something -- anything to pin the reason on herself.

And while it was in fact, true, that she had been momentarily distracted...there was no way for it to have been as long as it had. But...hadn't it been? She was vaguely aware of the sound of a door opening. It connected with the wall firmly afterwards, intentional or not. And a rhythmic clomping noise, sounding like horse hooves on wood reached her. Swallowing, she lifted her head again and looked towards that door, feeling more alert. And just as suddenly, she felt fear chilling her as a pair of glowing red eyes stared back. The robed body entered the door then, she noted that they had to duck a ways to get past the door frame, and what little light there was bounced off of a pair of horns. They seemed to curve upwards and then forward. A soft chuckle drifted over and the red eyes narrowed. This...did not look good.

Tara waited for the fainting that never happened. "Is she prepared yet?" The being asked, turning away from her momentarily and speaking to someone hidden by the wall. Tara's one good eye narrowed. The voice didn't sound... "Then, I suppose we'll wait." The red eyes were focused on the doorway, then turned back to the woman bound on the table. "Well, my dear. Seems like we will be getting better acquainted." Tara squeezed her eyes shut as the creature came closer. "Very well acquainted." The suddering began as one clawed hand began brushing her right thigh.

Back To The Fight

The blonde in the wedding gown stared oddly at the brunette, her 'game face' fully in play. Faith grinned back at her. She had a cut on her forehead and her lip was split, but she was still smiling. She also had streaks of mud all over her clothing and liberally coating her boots. Her opponent wasn't faring much better, the dress now torn and stained with mud and grass. "Oh, I'm sure it's perfectly reasonable of course." The blonde relaxed as she spoke to the slayer and shrugged. "I mean, how many women can say that on their wedding day, they became one of the undead." The bride's bottom lip trembled.

"Not many, I have to admit."

"Tonight..." The vampire shrugged. "Had that never happened, we would be on our honeymoon, sipping chardonnay right now."

"Or screwing." Faith's lips twitched upwards in a smirk. The two women were currently seated on the short wall behind a diner. The fight had been a surprising one, as the freshly risen vampire found out that what she believed to be an easy meal had fought back. Though, it took a few minutes before she realized she was fighting a Slayer and shortly thereafter, her confusion became fear. But then, it seemed as if her would-be killer was just toying with her. Thereafter, her fear turned into irritation and annoyance. And it seemed to make Faith laugh even more at her.

The fight had ended amicably, with Faith actually asking the blonde to walk with her. And now here they were. "Maybe. Mostly just drinking. A celebratory toast if you will." At the question in the eyes looking at her, the vampire sighed and her features relaxed and returned to her human appearance. "Thomas and myself had not married for love or anything else like that...if that is what you think." Stretching her legs out, she finally decided to kick off both of her shoes, the elevated heel on one of them having broken. "He and I had met at a party. We talked and decided to date. It was nothing like I had imagined. Nothing impressive truly. And he was rather dull, but his parents seemed thrilled when he brought me to meet them. Then, out of nowhere, we were engaged. I was surprised of course, as he'd not asked me so in advance. And his mother, especially...she looked so sweet and kind. I couldn't disappoint them like that. And so, we were married."

"That..." Faith pinched her brow. "It doesn't sound like I thought it would."

"We had to get married. Or at least I had to marry him, for his family's sake." The blonde grinned. "Thomas' father was extremely wealthy, but he was going to turn the fortune fully over to his younger sister if he didn't marry. So he married me. I was...as he put it...the only woman he could stand to be married to."

"So he couldn't have married anyone else?"

"No." The grin widened. "Dating, kissing, loving and having sex with women were not amongst Thomas' proclivities. They were more along mine actually." She resisted for a moment and then fully laughed at the wide-eyed stare directed at her. "We were both going to get the money when his father passed away. There was just one more thing we had to do to make it solid. Have a child." Faith's eyes narrowed then, but the blonde continued, oblivious to the turmoil her words were causing. "It was relatively simple and we were going to start on it on my wedding night."

"B...You... You wouldn't have wanted it otherwise?"

"Oh, rest assured, we wanted children...sort of. It's just that they're a lot of responsibility. We'd decided on one or maybe two, but that would be it. You understa--" Blinking, the bride stared at Faith's face first and then the stake protruding from her chest. "W-Why...?" She asked as her body began to crumble into dust. Cold, dark eyes gazed hatefully into her own and before she was gone, she heard and would forever remember Faith's next words.

"You say they're too much responsibility, but hear this... What I do every night is far more responsible than anything you would or will ever do. It's good you never got the chance to ruin another child's life. Say hello to hell for me." And then the bride was gone, leaving nothing behind but her dress, which Faith then proceeded to step on and use to rub off most of the mud from her boots.

Afterwards, she angrily stomped away.

Cemetery...

"Not good. This is very not with the good!" Willow was pacing around in the general area they'd left Tara in. "We were only gone a few minutes! Maybe she did wander off. Ohh, I knew we should have kept her with us!" Xander frowned then, but held his tongue. "Where could she have wandered off to?"

"Maybe she just went back to the house--" He was cut off before he could finish the thought. Nevertheless, it continued in his head even as his redheaded friend continued to ramble off. _Even if you __**do**__ still think of her as the woman miss high and mighty Glory brain-sucked_... The thought was unbidden and made him look even more uncomfortable.

"Maybe...maybe she did!" Willow looked up then, noticing her friend's distress. "Back that way. That way now!" Sighing, Xander proceeded to do just that.

Summer's Residence, _4 hours later_...

Angrily, a young teen was stomping back and forth. Willow was seated on the stairs -- curled up in a blanket, one sleeve and the collar of her gray pajamas visible. "She just disappeared? How can someone just disappear?"

"I don't know, Dawnie." Xander was sitting next to his friend, holding the phone to his ear.

"Yes. No." He sighed. "No. It's only been a few hours, but we're worried about -- Hello?" Looking into Willow's hazel eyes, he shook his head. "They say it has to be twenty-four hours before we can report someone missing. Then, they hung up on me." He didn't look at all pleased about such a horrid turn of events. When they'd originally returned, at first, they believed Tara to have simply left the cemetery and headed back to the house. She never was very comfortable amongst the dead. But when they got back to the house and found only Dawn and the still charging bot, it didn't take too long for them to figure out something was wrong. Tara wasn't thoughtless to have just walked off like that and not at least checked on the teen.

The redhead swallowed hard, her eyes beginning to water as she thought of the time frame the police had given them. Twenty-four hours. That was an entire day, and in the span of a day, her girlfriend could be raped or worse. Bile threatened to rise at the thought of what could be worse. Because she, along with the other two people in the room all knew that death was not always the end of someone. Tara very well could have become someone's nightly snack. Maybe the next time she and her lover would meet, they'd be on the opposite ends of a wooden stake. It was becoming too much. Tears that had filled her eyes began to overflow.

"They don't care!" Dawn cried, glaring at the phone Xander was still holding. By now all of them were feeling irritated and stressed. Collecting Dawn and the semi-charged Buffybot, the Gang had combed through nearly two cemeteries, when Dawn had called a cease-fire. Both because she was getting tired and had to go to school the next day. Also, the bot needed additional charging. The two adults knew it was going to be a miniature nightmare to get the kid out of bed, but once they got back Dawn wasn't able to sleep right away.

The motel_, Six a.m..._

The sun was beginning to rise, but not everyone was asleep. An unsteady figure stumbled through the door, mere inches from wrenching it from the wall. Further in, they walked, revealing themselves to be Faith. Her eyes were bloodshot and she didn't even bother to close and lock the door before she collapsed on the bed face first. A few moments later, snores filled the sparsely decorated room.

Dried mud from outside had begun to crumble and fall off of her boots. Regardless, a large chunk of the stuff was rubbing off on her sheets. Time around her slowed down to a standstill before speeding up. She had no dreams. And all was quiet. Having heard some of the noise some time prior, which consisted of her clomping around and cursing at her door's lock and even banging on it a little, a short man walked up to the still open door. Looking in and seeing her laying there, he quietly pulled her keys out of the lock and tossed them over to land on the bed next to her. As he expected, she didn't even respond to the noise. With the same silence, the man pulled the door closed and locked it. What his tenants did was their own business, especially when they were paying tenants. The numbers on her alarm clock slowly ticked over to six thirty a.m, the alarm going off then.

Obviously irritated with the noise, her hand rose, balled up into a fist and slammed down ontop of the alarm clock. The poor little machine was smashed into pieces. Again, the silence returned and Faith fell into the land of dreams.

Summer's Residence_: Seven Fifty-Nine..._

"Hurry up! I'll be late to classes!" Dawn called, scrambling frantically down the stairs. The bottoms of her jeans dragged over the floor behind her sneakers, as usual. She was trying to force herself to be cheerful about the day, but that one wasn't going to happen. Xander started from where he was currently positioned, stretched out in an easy chair in the living room. Groaning, he rubbed at his face, grimacing when he noticed he'd drooled on himself horridly...

Again.

"Oh, to be young and full of energy." He mumbled, uncaringly running the now slimed hand through his already messy hair, completely forgetting that he and the teen weren't that far apart in age. Willow followed Dawn down the stairs at a more sedate pace. She made a turn into the living room to collect her friend.

"Mm. Come on Xander. I can drop you off at your home on the way."

"That's okay. I'll be here when you need me." The stress lines in the redhead's face eased a little and he allowed a small smile to cross his lips. Hearing a loud, but unusually slow knocking, the two best friends stiffened. Surprise became fear after Dawn opened the door and screamed, quickly jumping out of the way of something just inside the door. Her screams became sobs. Turning back out of the living room, Willow saw what had the teen so frightened. And it nearly made her sick. Xander, who had gotten up to see for himself, had become unusually quiet and Willow approached the wrapped up body in a red sheet. With a face she so easily recognized.

"Tara? Baby?" Willow's voice wavered.

...To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6: Subterfuge

**Author**: MachaBadb

**Disclaimer:** _"Buffy: the Vampire Slayer" is not mine. The show is the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy._

**Websites:**_ I can be found on many websites! Gah… I'm just leaving information to the livejournal though.__ I'm quotherav on there. New format I'm working on for the story. Here's wishing for luck. Finger crossing_  
**Pairings**: None as of yet. Well… Willow/Tara, but that's already established. There's another in the wings though… I think. Heh.  
**Spoilers:** A few…but that was likely in previous chapters… Yeah…right. Haha.

**Author Note:** _I like feedback__. Please give me some__! Leave me some reviews! If it sounds like I'm begging, it's because I AM. Thanks!_

**Subterfuge**

It was a strange place to begin with, the sky dark, along with the ground. All around, nothing but blackness could be seen. Swinging a hand towards the sky, along with twirling in a circle, revealed the space to be open. But the ground was hard… The surface under her bare feet felt so very solid and cold. The temperature sent pinpricks of discomfort through nerves. It was almost akin to standing on a thick block of ice. Shivering began then, though breath could not be seen.

And ahead…a small ball of light. Was it worth it to look? Walls appeared around them, beginning to grow closer and indeed if the sole occupant here spread their arms out now, the very tips of fingers brushed the sides. Behind them was closing in faster and soon the wall touched their back and began to gently 'push' them along. The decision was being taken out of their hands and without any other recourse; a path was slowly made towards the light.

Walking along this dark path towards the only source…this luminary body, the steps turned into a staggered run, the rhythmic wet smacking of skin against the ground mingling with frantic gasps for air. There was a momentary blast of heat and suddenly, the person was tumbling through space. _Is this the end? Is it finally to be over? Am I so damned to end up tumbling for all of eternity?_ The person's belief seemed founded as they fell. Looking ahead as best they could, they saw nothing had changed. _Maybe it's best this way. No one ever complained about the abyss…living forever in oblivion and inaccessible to the outside world. Mayb--_

Only to land with a sickening thud on the dry, cracked earth. Through the confusion, one shaky hand touched the ground, feeling the tickle of a few blades of dry grass against inquisitive skin. The hand jerked back and the person attempted to lift up enough to see. Able to roll onto their back at last, the person found themself briefly blinded by a bright sun and curled both arms over to block it out. Only seconds later, they moved their hand away to find it was the moon looking at them.

This orb did not seem as cheerful as the sun had been; making the being it gazed upon feel almost…self conscious. Nevertheless, it had been for some time and this one made it question so many things… It moved closer for a better look, or so the person believed. They backed away quickly then, from the light -- the moon -- with its accusing cratered eyes. Eyes that were nothing but gray and endless pools. The frantic scramble away from it continued until fingers met abruptly wet earth. Taking a chance, the person glanced over their shoulder, finding that they had backed almost to sit on top of someone's grave. Turning around to sit, light having filled the area and was just enough for them to read, the person slowly mouthed the words. Lightning cracked overhead and it began to heavily rain. The deluge seemed to wet the stone and highlight the words even more:

"Here Lies Faith Lehane.

She Won't Be Missed."

Scrapping and scratching could be heard from below them and without warning; a hand erupted from the ground and grabbed them around one ankle. Alarmed, the person struggled and managed to pull free, crawling away from the wetted mound of dirt, which was quickly blending in with the rest of the area. The hand struggled towards them still. And sitting on the wet ground, soaked from head to toe, Faith Lehane glanced at her own tomb and began to scream.

The land heard her request and began swallowing her down into a muddy hole and her screams only intensified.

Summer's Residence: _Eight A.M…_

"Tara? Oh God!" Dropping to her knees, the redhead's eyes overflowed, her sobs joining Dawn's.

"What's…Oh…" Swallowing hard, Xander knelt next to his long-time friend and pulled her into a hug. His own eyes were moist. He remembered Tara at first as being the shy girl that Willow had brought with her to meetings. But overtime, she too became a fellow Scooby. And now…now she was gone. It wasn't fair! Hadn't they lost enough already? First with Buffy and now with Tara…

"W-W-What happened to her?" Lifting his head, Xander looked over to Dawn, who was now sitting on the stairs, knees pressed to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her tear soaked face was buried between her knees. There would be no going to school today.

"I don't know Dawn." But then he heard it. A sound so soft that at first, he though it his imagination. As he listened closer, he heard it again and tugged a little to get free of Willow. His gaze immediately turned to the door and outside of it, thinking that something was about to make an appearance. But nothing was there. No little men with gray bodies, no demons or vampires immune to sunlight. His mouth opened in surprise when he found the sound was coming from Tara. "Tara?" Moving closer to the blonde, he looked at her closely. Willow lifted her head and leaned over Tara, hearing the sound as well. And what a glorious one it was!

"Tara!" Unfocussed blue eyes opened, but no words were spoken. Tara's unsteady gaze met Willow's as the redheaded witch cupped her cheek with one hand, gently running a thumb over the smooth skin. "You came back to us…to me." Inside, she could let herself relax a little. She'd been a bundle of nerves until this moment. "Goddess, I love you baby." Moving closer she planted a kiss on Tara's forehead, then a deeper one on her lips.

The blonde cracked a faint smile, but it didn't last long. "Where…I was in this place and you weren't there. And it was dark and hurt. Goddess..." One of Tara's hands gingerly touch her left eye. "M-My face…how bad?"

"There's not a scratch on her." Xander commented.

"You're fine, baby. Nothing's wrong with your face." The perplexed look they received was confusing. Confusion grew to alarm as the blonde shook her head, looking frantically around and feeling all across her face. Dazed blue eyes darted all around, and the contact the redhead had with her now seemed to only cause more agitation. She pulled away.

"N-No. You're wrong!" Tara barked, startling Willow. "I'm injured…beaten. I'm… I-I'm scarred!" Tara's breathing picked up in speed until she was hyperventilating. She heard a crackling noise in her ears and became afraid. "Something's wrong…some…something happened."

"T…" Willow's jaw dropped open as her girlfriend's eyes began to roll backwards and her body began twitching. "What…what's wrong with her? Xander!" She voiced a protest as her friend forcibly pulled her away from Tara. "What are you doing?! Let me GO!"

"Back up… Don't touch her Will." Xander's voice was calm. Dawn had taken the hint and had backed even further up the stairwell. Helplessly, they watched on as their friend continued to spasm, her body contorting. Muscles tensed and jumped as she violently shook on the floor. Minutes ticked by slowly before she stopped twitching. Her arms and legs jerked a few more times. "Dawn, get the handset. And call 911." The teen hesitated for a second, but then ran past them into the kitchen.

"Xa--"

"She just had a seizure, Will." Finally letting his friend go, he knelt close to Tara, listening for breathing. Both of them could hear gurgling breathing. "We need to turn her on her side." The two friends did this as Dawn ran back in from the kitchen, the house phone firmly attached to her right ear. The teen grimaced, noticing the saliva dripping from a corner of Tara's mouth. But the gurgle to the blonde's breathing was nonexistent now.

"Y-Yes! You…you have to hurry. Yes, the address is 1630 Revello Drive." The teen was visibly agitated and her words weren't very clear.

"Dawn." Xander held his hand out for the phone, using his other arm to wrap around Willow's waist as the Wiccan sobbed into the red cloth covering Tara. After receiving the handset, he immediately put it up to his ear. "Yes. The address is correct. She…she had a seizure. We're not exactly sure what the cause of it is." He nodded a few times, a few strands of brown hair falling down his forehead. "Yes, she's on her side right now. Yes… No…I don't think she hit her head." After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again. "Yes. Thank you." Hanging up, he rubbed Willow's back and looked at Dawn, who was again seated on the stairs. "They're on the way." The clunk of boots and a soft mechanical whirr reached their ears and looking over; the three noticed the Buffybot coming into the room. It blinked a few times and spoke.

"Why is recently-gay Willow's lover down there?"

Graveyard: _Noon_

"There's got to be some sort of meaning to all this…isn't there?" Faith was stretched out on her back, lying atop Buffy's grave with a pile of seemingly freshly pulled flowers placed right next to her. The sneakers that adorned her feet were absolutely filthy. The front of the gray sleeveless shirt she wore was darkened down the front from sweat. The baggy sweatpants she had on were tightly tied around her waist with the drawstring. A Boston Red Sox cap was covering her face. "Slayer dreams that is." The brunette was silent for a time. "But that's just it, B… I've no clue if that's what it was. For all I know…Could have been a nightmare really." Sitting up momentarily, she rolled onto her stomach, facing but not reading the tombstone. "Wish I could get your thoughts on this…" She lapsed into an even longer silence. Folding her arms, one over the other, she rested her chin atop one wrist.

And waited. Faith wore no watch, feeling that there was no need for one. How long she remained there was anyone's guess. Only after a while, she rose to her knees, repositioning the flowers to right on top of the grave. "Pulled these up for you, B. Hope they're alright." She forced out a laugh. "Of course, they're the freshest I could find." She swallowed hard and rose to her feet, brushing her pants off and picking her hat up. Flicking some of the dirt and grass from it, she put it back on her head. Oddly enough, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail today. "Be seein' you B." Turning, she walked out of the graveyard. Once she stepped outside though, she returned to her run.

Reveling in the steady contractions and flexing of her muscles, her mind traveled over to her day. _After having such a horrid nightmare, she hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Like a germ, the idea of just drinking herself into a stupor had begun to grow. For an hour, she sat on her bed, her knees against her chest…staring at a bottle of Jack sitting on the night table. It would be so simple. She could just pick up the bottle and let her old friend drag her down into his world. The drunken jaunts she went on didn't last in her memory too often. But still… _

_Lightly shifting as she struggled to decide, a familiar object filtered in through her peripheral vision and she turned towards it. Her keys. Why were they in the bed next to her? Lightly licking her teeth, the stale taste of cheap beer hit her then and she remembered. Little bits and pieces of her staggering inside and leaving the keys not where they currently were… __Someone else had been here.. was in here__. The thought was unbidden and had made her leap from under her sheets, finding herself to be dressed still from the previous day. Immediately, she swayed, the liquor still having an effect on her balance. The idea of another person trespassing in her place had sent her racing to her bathroom to throw up._

Needless to say, that had not been one of her shining moments and was also behind her run. _The contents of the JD bottle had followed the contents of her stomach down the sink, though unfortunately, part of the floor, her boots and shirt were splashed a little with vomit. Rinsing her mouth out, she'd looked at her reflection. Taking in the drawn face and smudges under her eyes._ How could anyone think she was as young as she was? She didn't look like a bad girl in the least…right now more like some junkie in a corner outside. And though she knew for a fact that she was no where near the drugged up and alcoholic abuser that her mother had been, if she kept up this pace she would be. She could stop before it became addiction, couldn't she? Supposing was all that she was doing. Maybe being addicted to things, power…drugs…and alcohol…what if it was all tied into her? What if it had been inherited? Can't outrun your genes can you? "Can always try..." She grumbled to herself, the satisfying sensation of sweat trickling between her shoulder blades.

The Hospital: _3:30 PM_

Xander was seated in a chair in the waiting room. For the last few hours, he'd been amusing himself by reading the months-old magazines in the waiting room. Unfortunately, they were about things he had no interest in. Gossip magazines and fashion for teens, along with gardening books. Frowning visibly, he pointedly avoided the books about breastfeeding and crocheting. Honestly…why would he need to know either of those? But as the lines in the fashion magazines blurred together, he blindly reached for another. "Ah…" _Men's Health… Couldn't be too bad, right?_ Except it was an issue dealing with sexual dysfunction. After the fourth advertisement for Viagra, he made a point of putting down both books and grabbing up the crocheting book. In response to the strange stares he received from a few of the men there, he glared and buried his nose in the book.

How long was it going to take Willow to get out of there? He remembered the doctors saying that they would need to do tests. Tests and taking samples. Willow had nearly fainted when they mentioned needing blood samples. He'd been decidedly squeamish himself, but refused to admit it. He allowed himself to become engrossed in _Interweave Crochet_. Xander was immersed in one article about a good technique to make a bath mat when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Startled, he jumped in his seat, managing to hold down a yelp. Lifting his head, he met moist green eyes. "Oh… Willow." He noticed her frown. "Well?" Before she spoke, she plopped down in a seat next to him.

"They said they want to keep her overnight…for more tests. She woke up screaming about things on her face. She tried to claw the doctors and they had to hold her down to sedate her again. She was sleeping when I left. I…I don't understand." She paused a moment and then noticed the magazine he was holding. Shrugging, he offered the book over, but she politely declined. "Um.. No thanks."

"Your loss. Now I know all I need to in order to get cheaply made new bathmats." He grinned at her chagrin, adding as an afterthought. "Won't Anya be pleased that I've saved her that much money." _That_ comment managed to get a faint smile from his friend. Standing, he carefully placed the magazine back on the rack. After a bit of stretching, he offered a hand to pull Willow up to her feet. "We'd best get back. I'm not sure how long the B… Er.. I don't know if _Buffy_ will have any other…_engagements_ later on." Willow's smile was shaky.

"Yes. Might as well head back." Frowning, but nodding in agreement.

The Hospital: _Room 202_

The blonde lay curled up on her side, holding back groans as the doctor and nurse in the room worked to get good readings from her. "Miss, you do have to be still! And get back on your back please." The nurse told her.

"Hurts.." She murmured, but she did as she was bid. Gently pushing back part of the nightgown, the doctor warmed up the stethoscope by rubbing it against his crisp white jacket before placing it on the blonde's chest. He was silent, listening carefully.

"Breath in… Yes, that's good. And out." The nurse, on the other hand, was watching a monitor that checked their patient's blood pressure. "Lungs are clear." Pulling the earpieces from his ears, he glanced to the nurse. "I don't quite understand it. She was reporting having problems breathing, but there were no visible breaks in her ribs on the scans. No accumulated fluids in the lungs. There wasn't any inflammation in her breathing passages. Nothing was found, in fact, that suggest any problem with her lungs. Still… That seizure does have me concerned."

"More tests?" He nodded. He didn't' notice his patient's saddened look bloom into confusion. And then pain.

"Yes. Until we can find out what's causing this." Pulling a pen from his pocket, he began making notes on her chart.

"Back over." She said, a little louder before abruptly rolling over onto her side again. "Hurts." She moaned, tears beginning to form. She drew in air raggedly. They spilled over her cheeks and her body stiffened. Outside, with the tests, they still could not have found a problem. But inside, she'd been feeling as if something was burning, pounding against her innards. Her head felt heavy, her ears beginning to ring. Her eyes half closed and she went into sudden convulsions again.

"Doctor!" Dropping his pen as the alarms went off; the writing implement quickly became forgotten as he called for assistance. His patient, a Miss Tara Maclay, was going into another seizure.

Summer's Residence: _Outside…_

_This is a bad idea. I know it is…_ Faith thought to herself as she walked the pathway leading to the stairs. _Funny… My mind is saying for me to not bother and my body is refusing its commands. Its nerves. The nerves are telling my brain it's a bad idea to even be here._ As she stood in front of the door, lifting one curled fist to knock, she continued her internal battle. _Good thing I don't listen to my brain too often._ Blinking, she relaxed a little and knocked. _Wait…that didn't sound so right in my head. But it could have been worse, could have been out loud._ The door opened, despite her belief and knowledge that she would not be gazing at those familiar green eyes, the sight still made her choke briefly. _Buffy…_ but this was the bot, not the person that it represented. It was a poor plastic and metal replacement if that was its purpose.

"Hello again, person I now know!" Faith blinked at that one. "You are Faith, and an enemy. And you were recently gutted after becoming evil." Faith stepped back as the bot closed in on her. "And now we are to fight! Because I am Buffy, the ONLY vampire slayer and you are evil, like the vampires I slay." Despite the mild distraction of Dawn looking outside the door along with the baleful glare sent towards Faith, it wasn't distraction enough for her to miss the robot's punch. In fact, the blow was severely off course. With creeping disgust, the dark slayer realized a few things. Though it resembled her former rival in appearances -- that was where the similarities ended. The voice was the same, but what came out was far more stupid than anything the real Buffy had ever said.

Easily blocking blows, Faith seemed to almost yawn as she swayed to and fro, right out of the way of the bot's attacks. Watching the slayer closely at any time would have resulted in a more coordinated machine. The moves were also becoming predictable and soon Faith grew bored. At any time, she could have easily crushed an arm or leg part. Ducking under yet another lazy swing, she rolled forward, and turned to her left, coming up behind the bot. She picked the thing up by the back of its shirt and shook it lightly. "Now listen up and listen carefully. You _can_ do that, can't you?" She didn't wait for a response. "Your threats need almost as much work as your lackluster fighting skills. How the hell have you passed for so fucking long? Have the undead in this backwards town gotten _that_ lazy? Hmm… Tell me…_Buffy_." She grit her teeth together.

"Let her go!" Recognizing the voice, Faith turned around, still holding the bot up by the shirt. The thing was flailing its arms about, as if that were going to do anything.

"Dawn… Care to explain this thing? 'Cause lemme tell you." Her eyes narrowed to slits and her voice lowered. "Sooo not gonna cut it." She walked back up the stairs and through the door before the teen could slam it shut in her face. Setting the bot down, she looked to Dawn for a second before ducking and turning around, finally fed up. The bot's fist passed effortlessly over her head. Rising sharply, Faith angrily delivered a right cross to the bot's cheek, feeling the metal collapsing under the impact, accompanied by a loud crunch and the sound of breaking glass. The Buffybot that looked back at them afterwards was missing a good portion of her face on the left side.

"Stop!" Dawn exclaimed, raising and waving her hands in a pacifying gesture to the robot. "See?" Having its attention, she kept speaking. "See? I'm… I'm fine. There's no need to attack her, okay?" Nervously, she swallowed and looked at Faith. "No need to break her…please?" To the teenager's surprise, Faith crossed her arms and seemed to be… "Are you pouting?"

"No. And if the bot tries anything else, she'll be getting her very first _bath_." Properly chastised, the Buffybot put some distance between herself and Faith. "Dawn…" The brunette mumbled, keeping an eye on the machine in front of her. "Care to explain this thing?" Dawn lowered her head. "Today before I have to remove more parts would be a good idea."

"Ah…y-yeah." Walking past Faith to close the door, she turned back around to see the bot and dark slayer eyeing each other. But luckily, neither of them attacked. "Where should I start?"

"The…beginning would be nice."

Across Town…

As the teen began to fill Faith in on the details, across town, Xander and Willow were on their way back to the house. As he was the more in control of the two, Xander opted to drive. Unfortunately, he was the less well rested as well. His eyes kept closing of their own will, until, frustrated, he pulled over to the side of the road -- somehow successfully parking behind another car. Willow, who had been drowning herself in fears and 'what ifs', looked over at him. "We stopped? Xan--"

"Sorry Will. Need to get some shut eye before getting back on the road."

"But.." She quieted as he held up a hand. "Xander."

"Need to do it. My eyes kept closing and you know closed eyes aren't good when trying to drive anywhere." Her eyes widened, but he didn't notice. "It's just a couple of hours."

"I'll drive." Blearily, he looked at her. "I will, Xander. Please…I don't want to spend all that time th--leaving Dawn by herself. Whatever reached Tara might come after her too." With a little coaxing and physical support, as the Xand-man was falling asleep on his feet, they switched seats and Willow pulled out of the parking space. Her friend had nodded off after buckling himself in, and as she began meticulously adjusting the mirrors and her seat. She carefully pulled out into traffic.

Summer's Residence: _4:30PM_

Early evening found Faith sitting cross-legged in a kitchen chair. Her left elbow rested on the table and she rested her head in the upturned palm. Idly, one finger of her right hand traced little patterns on the condensation built up on the glass she was drinking from. "Again…" She murmured, looking across the table to Dawn. The teen at this point, looked exasperated. Quietly, Faith took another sip from her glass and set it down, resuming her creating of patterns on the glass. Dawn was quiet for a time. "Not doing this to be irritating, pipsqueak." The bot sat silently next to the teenager. "I just.. I want some answers alright?"

"I've told you what happened to Buffy. She… I told you that my sister is dead. And that the BuffyBot is used to fight like she did." Faith's gaze remained on the glass, and she slowly shook her head.

"I know. Just…doesn't make any sense." Dawn bounced out of her seat and began to walk around the kitchen, the bot wisely remaining seated after receiving a steely glare from the dark slayer. "Telling the truth here, kid." _Least she knows I'm not a threat anymore. One down… the rest to go._ She frowned. "Wish I had a cig." If Dawn had been surprised by the comment, she didn't show it.

"What part of this made little sense to you, Faith?! The part where the bot's here to fill in or where… where she's gone?" Her voice cracked and she struggled to hold back tears. Crying in front of the older woman was the last thing she wanted to do. Faith heard the break in the teen's voice, but forced herself to remain seated. She had to get this out. Had to voice it… Before the urge left her.

"No…it's not--" Faith tried to explain, but was cut off.

"Oh god…" Surprised at the new voice, Faith looked towards the exit to the kitchen and spotted Willow and Xander standing there. She stared at them and the gaze was returned. The brunette blinked a few times before cracking a smile.

"Things just got interesting."

"Get out." Willow nearly growled. Xander remained quiet. He knew that Willow had a dislike for Faith and how…explosive Faith could be. He was ready to jump in if the rogue slayer tried anything.

"Good to see you too, Red." Faith ignored the audible threat and reached for her glass again. Only to be splattered with bits of glass and liquid as it exploded in front of her. She blinked a little and carefully brushed herself off as she rose to her feet. She noticed the other three people in the room stiffen. _They really think I'll just…_ She pinched the bridge of her nose. _They think I'll attack them. And hurt them…_ Looking Willow in the eyes, she could tell that quiet talking was the least thing on the redhead's mind. Destruction and kicking her ass on the other hand… _Fine… I brought this on myself._ "If you'll…kindly move out of the way…I'll leave." Faith had surprised them, that was much obvious.

Ignoring the boggle-eyed look she was on the receiving end of, she brushed past the two older Scoobs. "Take care, pip. We'll chat later." And before she left the door, she added another comment, to make herself feel better. "See you at the grind, Robocop." It was after the front door closed that both Willow and Xander looked at the Buffybot.

"Oh Goddess!" Willow exclaimed, running over to it and checking it over. "What happened?" She glanced at Dawn. "You know, right?" The teenager had been uncharacteristically quiet during the exchange. "Tell us, Dawn.."

Instead of answering the immediate question, Dawn posed another. "How's Tara? Is…is she going to be okay?" Her shoulders drooped as she spoke and her gaze was fixed on the opposite side of the table, where the broken glass still lay.

"Yes…" Willow spoke slowly and Xander wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He knew what she wasn't saying, what she refused to say. Because both of them were aware that nothing was okay and wouldn't be for some time. They were all still hurting from losing Buffy and now there was a chance that Tara wouldn't make it… The witch found herself suddenly caught in the teenager's gaze. It was distrustful…accusing…

"What aren't you saying?" She got out of her seat. "There's s-something else, isn't there?" Her eyes narrowed. "What are you not telling me?"

"Dawn…" Dawn pushed her seat back to the table and threw her arms up.

"You know what? Never mind. I'm going up to my room." She glanced at the table again for a moment. "She really liked that soda." Then, she passed the two adults, more harshly than Faith had. Willow and Xander were left staring at each other in confusion. After a few minutes ticked past...slow as they were, Xander began walking away from the kitchen.

"Xan…Xander. Where are you going?" The redheaded witch's face read uncertainly and confusion. She couldn't understand why she'd done what she had. Sure, she wanted Faith to suffer, but what she had cast could have done serious damage. Faith hadn't even attacked -- nor done anything -- to anyone. There was no anger. None of the aggression she remembered Faith to possess. _What's happening to me?_ Willow asked herself. She…she didn't hurt people. Or did she? Was this what she was turning into after… She felt Xander's arms around her as he hugged her tight.

"I'm not going too far. Just to get a broom to clean that up." Simple and yet so unclear. He hadn't voiced his displeasure at her actions. But he hadn't agreed with them either. When he returned, the two of them began cleaning the floor up.

July 12th, 2001 – The Hospital: _Room 202_

She was happy, smiling even. Even if the smile was on the outside. Currently, Tara was propped up in bed, listening to her visitors. Or trying to. The ringing in her head didn't help any. Twice, she'd felt as if she was going to have another seizure, only for the sensation to pass. It was strange, as if the source was…teasing. She hugged the stuffed bear that Xander had brought and loved the flowers Willow had given her. But still..

Something was there.

It was bothering her still. Her stomach was upset, but she wasn't letting on. Willow had noticed her unusual silences and climbed into the bed with her, careful to not dislodge anything. And she'd held Tara. The blonde relaxed into the comfortable hug; Xander had excused himself to get a soda, asking if either of them wanted anything. After hearing Willow's request, he headed out the door. His offering had been more for giving them privacy, of which Willow was grateful to have.

"This is nice." She murmured. Willow looked down then.

"Hmm?"

"I just…thank you for coming to see me." Tara's voice was so soft, fragile. It made Willow very nervous. She held Tara tighter to her, afraid that the blonde would suddenly vanish from her arms and her life.

"You'll be okay, sweetie. Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just fine." She didn't dare look Tara in the eyes. She didn't want to see the denial gazing right out at her. Something was wrong and all of the tests and samples and examinations that the doctors were doing came up with inconclusive results. Medically, there was nothing wrong with the blonde. And despite the seizures, she didn't seem to be having serious damage from them. There were no scars or lesions on her brain, so the medical professionals were pulling at straws at this point. A new sound found her ears then and she relaxed further as Willow hummed to her.

The blonde was lulled into a state of half sleep and barely acknowledged it when Xander came back with the drinks. "A refreshing coke for myself; the same for Willow. And…" He walked around the bed and gently touched Tara's shoulder. A nice, cold green tea for the lady." Softening his voice, he spoke to Willow. "She awake?" A blue eye looked up at him then and Tara yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Guess that's a yes. Tea's for you."

The uncomfortable feeling in her guts returned with a vengeance and she grimaced, feeling her mouth watering. "Tara?" Now, Willow was aware of it. She felt Tara stiffen in her arms. "Baby? Xander, get the doctor!" He ran out the door to do just that. Good thing he did, because one moment Tara was scrambling to get the bedpan and the next she had decorated Willow's top with the partially digested contents of her stomach. The redhead was a little grossed out, but she was more concerned with her lover's reaction. Tears fully fell from the blonde's eyes.

"Sorry. So…so sorry." She sobbed, Willow racing to shush her apologies.

"It's not your fault baby." The door opened then, admitting Xander and one of the doctors on call that night.

Outside_ the Hospital_

_They don't know I'm here, you know. Nope. Not one little idea of it. And if they even had an inkling, I'm sure Red would have found some way to bar me from the building. I mean, soulless creatures can be kept out, so why not me too? Not that I'm lacking in that particular department…but there are stains and scars. I know this. And the Superfriends have made sure that I know that whenever I see them. None of them were ever stellar, but they'd have you think they were._ Faith smoothed her hands down the sides of her denim jacket. She wore a white shirt under it. Uneasily, she sunk her hands into her blue jeans and began walking towards the front doors to the hospital.

Her memory served true, as she'd tried to keep her contact with Xander and Willow down to a minimum. The absence of the blonde witch had captured her attention and being more careful the next time she went to see Dawn, she found out where the woman was. _You'd think I was doing my final walk._ She thought to herself, feeling the tension as she walked up to the reception's desk. Hopefully, she wouldn't be remembered.

Thankfully, the receptionist had no clue and after she asked for Tara's room number, she found herself with another situation. She was nervous about entering the room. Chewing on her bottom lip, she stepped closer, hearing voices. She heard them getting closer to the door and she ducked around the corner as the door opened. Peaking carefully, she spotted Willow and Xander there. "I wish Dawnie had come with today." A strange smell assaulted Faith's nose, but she wasn't sure what it was exactly.

"Can understand why she didn't though." Xander commented.

"Yeah…" Her voice trailed off.

"Well… Tara was umm…awake."

"Yeah… And she was sick. But she talked." The two of them continued to talk as they walked down the hall. "There was that…which was of the good, right?" Straining her ears, Faith wouldn't have been able to hear the rest of the conversation. But that was unimportant. As quietly as she could, she slipped into Tara's room. Hearing the door open, the blonde looked towards it, her eyes widening only a little before she relaxed back into the bed.

"Hi." The brunette said with a small smile. "Had a little problem finding the place this time." Off a questioning glance, she elaborated. "Pipsqueak's not with me today." Faith walked to the side of Tara's bed, pulling a chair over.

"No." Confused, the dark slayer looked at the blonde, who patted an empty spot next to her on the bed. Faith didn't even question her, sitting down.

"Heard you got sick." She wasn't fully facing Tara as she spoke. Lightly, she kicked the floor with one sneaker.

"Y-Yes. And goddess…s-s-so embarrassing!" Her cheeks grew pink at her stuttering, even though she knew the woman sitting on the bed wouldn't ridicule her for it. "I just w-wanted to h-hide."

"There's worse things. So, tell me…" She turned around then, looking at the blonde. "Feeling better?" Tara nodded, a shy smile on her face. "Feeling…**up** to something?" One of Faith's brows quirked, an almost sensual expression forming. Tara seemed to consider. "Well?" Faith chuckled. "I'm not a very patient woman, Miss Maclay."

"Okay okay… I'm feeling much better."

"Good. Otherwise, I'd have let you play with yourself." Faith's grin was a little too wide and she enjoyed the sudden blush at Tara's expense. "So…" Her fingers tangled a little in the crisp hospital bed sheet. "What are you up for today?"

"You know." Tara leveled a stare on Faith and the brunette moaned and stood up.

"Fine. Far be it for me to keep your fingers from doing the walking." Strolling over to the stationary table next to Tara's bed, she momentarily kneeled, digging under it. She found herself having to move bags around. "You better be happy I like you." Finding the box she was after, she stood and dragged the portable table, which thankfully had been cleaned, off around the bed to where her chair was. "Scrabble it is." She opened the box, setting it on the table and began setting up the pieces along with the board.

The two women began to play.

To Be Continued…

**Secondary Note:** _Haha! Almost had you there, didn't I? Stay tuned for the next chapters… __**No hints**__ at it this time__._


	7. Chapter 7: Something Like What

**Author**: MachaBadb

**Disclaimer:** _"Buffy: the Vampire Slayer" is the property of Josh Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Dangnabbit, they got it before I did! -_-;;_

**Websites: **/  
**Chapter:** Chapter 7 of Pivot

**Pairings**: We'll see.  
**Spoilers:** 0. No, I didn't mistype the letter "O".

**Author Note:** _Thank you to everyone for your feedback! And a special thank you to all of my loyal readers. Because with me, you know you may be waiting a while. Like a year...or two. The title chapter was suggested by my horrifying ex whom left me with quite a few gray hairs, I'm sure. Without further ado, enjoy!_

**Something Like…What?**

July 16th, 2001 – 8:00AM

_There was a brief struggle, a gasp and then she awoke. _"Aww fuck.." The woman grumbled, looking at the empty bottle next to her on the floor. Drinking…again. _Good thing we knew this one was coming._ The woman's mind drolly supplied. If anything, Faith's internal monologues were there to keep her company. Whether she was grateful for that was a different thing entirely. "Shut up shut up shutup!" Pressing both palms to her sweaty and grease-slicked forehead, the young brunette dug the fingers of both hands into her hair and groaned through her teeth. She was in her usual place when on drunken binges, having broken into one of the abandoned houses in the area. The building she was inside was badly damaged and not in the way that they are in movies. No…abandoned houses on television revealed old and cracked paint…like this one did. They didn't show busted holes in the ceiling, stripped side panels with broken electric wires, nor feature the stench of bodily waste. Others had been here before she was, possibly in worse straits.

At least the motels she found herself sleeping in weren't as bad. As far as places like these went, it didn't even matter whether it was an imprint of her fist or fingerprints left behind. The SunnyD PD, or what tried to pass for it, tended to visibly avoid abandoned houses. The hands of so many other people had passed through the same entryway, the same door had been forced open so many times that it seemed to no longer matter. The city of SunnyDale refused to further do any repairs on places like these. Many people would call such actions extremely lazy. Maybe the city was being cheap or perhaps it was finally giving in to the knowledge that SunnyDale was a place unlike any other. People that lived in this place had a funny habit of dying frequently.

The young woman who was still wiping the grit from the corners of her eyes with a t-shirt would have agreed. She was just getting herself together when another sound caught her attention. Breathing…. Holding her own then, the woman tilted her head. The sound persisted. Someone else was in the area. Sitting up, she looked to her left and toward the source of the sound. Her face scrunched up with disgust then. Sharing sleeping space with her was a homeless bum. Or at least he smelled homeless. He wore a filthy brown jacket, tattered pants and was unshaven for what must have been years. In his sleep, the man smacked his lips and rolled away from her and the young woman sighed, shivering now. Checking her pants now, she found them to be thankfully buttoned and zipped up. _I need ta stop doing this kinda shit. _Grimacing at the lingering taste in her mouth, she clambered to her feet and stepped outside. Snorting, she hawked and spat at a corner of the building before stalking off back to where her room was supposed to be.

9:30AM – _Faith's Motel Room_

_How long had it been? Only a few days? A few weeks since we found out?_ The brunette looked at her reflection. Nothing impressive really. She looked like a regular young woman in a t-shirt, with a business jacket on and slacks. _Will I win an award for being dressed professionally? At least as far as I go?_ Dark brown eyes turned towards the door to her hotel. _Maybe…Whatcha think about that, B?_ She frowned at her reflection then, hearing an insistent and much missed voice in her head. B always did have a thing about high fashion. The Dark Slayer…not so much. Was something off? Faith puffed out her cheeks, turning her head left then right. She tried to, truly did, to convince herself that she would actually notice if something was wrong. Both of her eyes looked over critically. _I hope I make a good impression. No…I __will__ make a good impression. Piece of cake, right?_ Despite her words, and self assurances, she smoothed down already well groomed hair down. She looked over first her right hand, flipping it back and forth, examining her fingers. She looked closer at them, studying her fingernails before nervously running her fingers through her hair again.

Faith took to looking at the left hand and examined. Outside, she looked fine, but inside… That wouldn't be the focus though. She knew visiting hours would be in a few hours, so why had she pulled herself out of bed a few hours earlier, panicking about what she was going to wear? It made little to no sense. When in the past had she been so worried, really? Never really…

Buffy would have been worried about so much as one hair out of place. Before meeting the blonde, Faith hadn't taken a lot of care into her appearance. Unless it involved her looking sober enough so that she wouldn't be tossed into yet another rehabilitation center.

Inside the Hospital: 1:00PM

"I want to say thank you." The brunette started a little, staring over the large notepad she had been drawing on. Her dark brows furrowed as the young woman across from her stuttered a moment under the direct stare. The puppy dog brown eyes could be so intense sometimes. This was a fact that the poor blonde was becoming more and more aware of. The thought that she could feel closeness to someone other than Willow was disconcerting. The argument had only been a few days ago, but was fresh in her mind.

_It was ten in the morning. The blonde had learned the routine already and was seated up in bed, watching cartoons. Her breakfast sat to the side, ignored for the most part. It wasn't that the hospital provided bad food. In fact, the hospital always gave decent food to its visitors…likely because they assumed the food would in fact be a last meal. No. Today, she was ignoring her breakfast because her stomach had been hurting her for a while. She had actually vomited shortly after waking that morning and had to be helped back into bed. The nurse who aided her checked the blonde's forehead for a sign of fever. Finding none, the woman briskly suggested that it was likely just a fluke and a one time occurrence before rushing back out of the room. _

_Cartoons weren't exactly what the blond wiccan wanted to watch, but she wasn't going to complain. Visiting hours started at eleven and she wanted to look decent for her guests. Though for a while, she found herself liking it less and less when Willow came to visit her. The redhead seemed obsessed with asking if she was alright and where she hurt and if they'd cured whatever problem she'd had. A dull ache had started between her eyes whenever she saw her lover now. _

_She allowed those thoughts to drain away and focused on the television, completely losing track of time until a familiar face showed up at the door. With a resigned sigh, Tara submitted to the visit. During the entire time, she tried to distract herself with thoughts of sleep or the other visitor that showed up usually after Willow left. The brunette was more or less calm. And one of the few people that would not hover over her as if she were made of fragile glass._

_Returning to the conversation, which involved Willow explaining something or other about computers and trying to upgrade the Bot…again….Tara cut her off in the middle of the conversation. "Ah…yes. Why don't you head out…go do that." Feigning a yawn, the blonde settled down in bed._

"_You're tired? Well, of course you're tired! You're a healing girl after all. But… Tara.. I was thinking about making this an all day visit." She grinned into puzzled blue eyes. "Cleared my schedule for an all day visit."_

"_Yo..Y-You don't have to do that. Really. I'll be fine here… In the hospital. Alone." A poor choice of words, as evidenced by Willow's suddenly widened eyes._

"_That's right. Absolutely…positively." The redhead quoted one of her beloved characters from an old cartoon. "You've been alone. I've been a bad…bad girlfriend by ignoring you."_

"_I-I-It's alright. Really." Before Willow could respond, a familiar voice perked up. _

"_Sorry I'm late. But I've been waiting outside for a while now." Tara's face paled just a little at the look in her girlfriend's eyes. Back stiffening a bit, Willow rose to her feet and turned around. _

"_Just what the hell are you doing here?" There, leaning against the doorframe was Faith herself. Both arms were crossed and her feet were linked at the ankles._

"_It's a hospital, Red 'n Tara here is ill. What do ya think? I'm not here for my own health, yunno." Balling both her fists up, the red haired woman in question grit her teeth. Faith was a person she just did not like. At first, she had disliked the woman due to how much the 'bad girl' she acted and drew Buffy away from them. Then later on, she had jumped on the 'blame it all on Faith' bandwagon, especially when the brunette had killed Deputy Filch and 'gone rogue'. And now, that same horrible and murderous woman wanted to visit her girlfriend in the hospital. "Get out." Was all she said. It was all that the redheaded witch needed to say. Faith actually straightened up, half smirking. She could almost smell the underlying threat but did not take the bait. It would have been almost too easy._

"_This is a hospital Red. I can visit whom I want." She was trying to hold her temper in check. "If I want to visit someone's ailing aunt Nancy, I would go visit them too. If I knew them."_

"_Not if I say so. EGO…" Willow began, her eyes beginning to glow an eerie reddish hue. "Accerso.." Now her hands were joining in the glow. Faith's face registered shock for a split second as Willow continued. "Incend-" _

"_Exstinctum!__" The redheaded witch blinked as a pale glue glow engulfed her hands, putting out the fireball she'd been trying to summon up. Stunned, she turned her head and looked to her girlfriend._

"_Tara-"_

"_I think you need to leave."_

"_But Tara…that's not..not what you really want is it?" Crossing her arms, the blonde looked away. Biting her bottom lip, Willow turned her gaze towards Faith. By now, the brunette had regained her composure and stepped into the room, glancing at Willow and nodding towards the exit. Eyes squinting, the red-haired witch gathered what dignity she had left and stormed out of the room._

"_What the hell was 'er problem?" The brunette grumbled, after she was sure the fiery redhead was gone. Glancing over to Tara, she was only met with a shaking head. _

The redhead had reduced the number of visits, sadly, after finding out that the other slayer was coming as well. The fact had puzzled Tara and left her having to beg Faith not to leave. "For everything you've done." The blonde's gaze was sad. Faith felt very much like a heel or a third wheel or something else that is there but never should be around. She very much understood that the red-haired witch hated her with every fiber of her being. She had certainly earned such a position in Willow's heart. Eventually, drawing her focus away from anger at herself, it focused a little on Willow for what the woman was doing. It was downright manipulative.

Outside the Hospital: 2:00PM

What was she to say really? For some reason, 'I am sorry.' would never fit. Faith Lehane was never sorry. Yet the last few days…no… Long before she even returned to SunnyDale, she was sorry. Maybe she should head back to Rosewynne Downs… At least that city was relatively quiet. "P-Penny for your thoughts?" Glancing over from where the she sat unusually closely to the blond on a wooden bench, Faith shook her head. In her lap sat a few boxes…the board games that she'd brought to Tara's room while the woman was so very ill. There weren't that many words the brunette could use to vent out her frustrations and her feelings. Were Slayers even supposed to have such things? No…yes. That was a very stupid question. Of course they did. Didn't Buffy?

She swallowed hard, remembering how many times she'd sparred with the blonde and felt envy.

_It's dog eat dog out here. And you'll always be the easiest bitch in the city. Never ever forget that. _Sighing and rubbing one of her eyes, Faith tried to silence her internal disparagement. _And now it seems Top Bitch has to truly live to the title._ Anything else she began thinking was interrupted at the touch. Looking down, she noticed that Tara had scooted further over to her and was in direct contact. Smiling wanly, she frowned at the hopeful gleam in those blue eyes. "A penny, huh?" Biting the inside of her cheek when the blonde nodded, Faith allowed a short bark of laughter to escape. "My thoughts aren't even worth half that." Before the other woman could protest, Faith lifted her right arm and began checking the watch around her wrist. "Say..shouldn't your friends be here by now?"

Noticing the same cerulean stare focused on her, Faith grumbled. "Traffic."

Damn. Damn damn damn. Frowning only showed her inner turmoil. She knew that Tara would probably take that to mean that she'd offended her. Hadn't Faith been happier earlier that morning? _Perhaps I shouldn't spend so much time talking to myself._

Yes, perhaps indeed.

"Traffic, huh?" Tara nodded. "Any idea how much longer this will take?" Those eyes, so open before… lowered and closed. The Dark Slayer could have kicked herself. She was being wrong for how she was treated the blonde and knew it. This person…no, this woman who had decided to take on her and the problems she brought was being treated horribly. Faith was being an insufferable friend. _Ha! And long ago, I couldn't even call myself that…._ Turning her head then, she sighed. Tara's shoulders were slouched and her head lowered, allowing her long locks to hide her face. "Look. I'm…sorry." The other woman, both arms wrapped around her waist, didn't respond. "Tara, please… You have to understand me here. I'm not a-a…" Grunting, she swallowed and lightly grit her teeth. "I'm not a normal person, alright? You have to understand that all of this is new to me. No one ever cared about me just because before."

Still, Tara didn't respond. Faith opened her mouth to fill the sudden void that silence made and then noticed that the blond was trembling. "Tara?" Flaring her nostrils, Faith bolted from the bench and moved to kneel in front of the young woman. The board game boxes lied forgotten on the ground. "Do you see me, Tara?" She grew alarmed at the frightened expression that greeted her. The poor woman looked as if her mind was in another place. "I'll take you back in the hospital." The blonde grimly shook her head after a moment, her gaze still a little unfocussed.

"I-I-I'm…f-fine." Tara stuttered, trying to school her features. "My s-s-stomach's upset." Searching her face for clues, Faith didn't seem as convinced. However, if Tara was going to claim she was fine, the Slayer couldn't very well do anything unless there was a real emergency. With a sigh, Faith rose to her feet and glanced towards the hospital's front doors.

"Want me to get you a soda or…?" Even as she moved to do that, Faith found her hand grabbed at the wrist. Looking down, she was treated to a view of Tara's face. Swallowing unconsciously as she was also treated to a view of the blonde's cleavage, Faith bit her bottom lip. Those beautiful eyes grew moist.

"P-Please don't leave me." Perplexed, Faith nevertheless didn't shake off the hold around her wrist. "Please…" Faith frowned.

"It's just to the hosp-"

"Don't leave me." Not wanting a scene after the Scoobies arrived, Faith nodded faintly and sat down on the bench. "It hurts so much when you leave me." Even more puzzlement took hold then. _When you leave me…_

"You mean when I leave the hospital?" Nodding, Tara leaned against Faith, sniffling.

Never in her life had Faith ever _ever_ found herself in a situation like this. Never before had she had anyone cry on her, or beg for comfort for her. And yet, now here she was with someone doing exactly that. The normal reaction was supposed to be a hug…right? That was what she told herself. The blonde snuggled closer, uncurling her arms. Her face had been paler before, and at first Faith feared she would be vomited on. When that event didn't occur however… "Shhh…" She murmured, trying to comfort her new friend as much as she could. The moment was peaceful….quiet and private between friends despite the two of them being outside. Tara's breathing began to relax until she was slumbering against Faith, her warm breath teasing any skin it touched.

Hearing an engine, Faith lifted her head. How wonderful… the Scoobs had arrived, one of them looking angrier than the rest. Xander said nothing at the spectacle before them and even Anya kept her mouth shut. Giles was quiet as well. It was the redhead, on the other hand, who seemed to be having a problem the situation. _This does not look good. _ Of course, being found wrapped in the arms of the woman your enemy loves never looked good. Even if the embrace was innocent. "Get your filthy hands off her." Willow growled. Faith's eyes narrowed. Being angry was understandable, but being treated like she was…not at all.

"I'd watch my words if I were you, Red." The Dark Slayer returned, trying to ease out of Tara's hold. She gently shook the woman back into wakefulness. Her eyes narrowed further as she looked closer at the fuming witch. Tara's eyes opened blearily and she hugged Faith closer to her. "Ride's here, Bright Eyes." It was slow, the blonde's reactions. Blearily, she pushed herself up further, eventually turning her focus on Willow. Thankfully, she also let Faith go. The redhead's expression transformed and she offered a beaming smile to Tara.

"Hey baby." She murmured softly. "We're here to pick you up." Rubbing her eyes with both palms, Tara then glanced questioningly at Faith. Frowning, Faith recognized that same lost look.

"Go ahead. You'll be fine." Annoyed, Willow glared at the Slayer again.

"I wasn't talking to you, Miss Slutbomb." Anger ignited then. It was visible as Faith's attractive features twisted into a scowl.

"Willow!" The young woman didn't even acknowledge Giles as he addressed her. "Despite what has occurred in Faith's past, she's done nothing while she has been here. If anything, she's been visiting Tara regularly to see to her well being." Looking to Faith for confirmation of this, he relaxed minutely when the brunette nodded.

"Yeah, Will. You haven't been exactly visit-y lately." Xander pointed out, flinching when he found himself the subject of an intense glower. Willow held it for a moment longer before shrugging and turning back to Faith and most importantly, her lover.

"Nevermind that." Faith was still staring at her, a dark façade had fallen over her features. To the redhead, it solidified in her mind one thing. No matter how much Faith tried to hide it and change her clothing, she was still the same underneath it all. Turning her gaze to Tara momentarily, Faith spoke softly.

"You can keep the boxes." Then, she gave Willow one last hard glare before turning and stalking off.

"Yeah, that's right Faith. Run away, like you always do!" Willow taunted. "You should have never left prison! The outside is only for decent people!" Instead of even replying, the brunette lengthened her stride.

Pride was a strange thing. It could both help or hinder. In this case, Willow's overwhelming sense of self worth where the Dark Slayer was concerned was not a good thing. She noticed the disapproving stares of not just her friends, but her girlfriend as well. _They'll understand soon my view. _Willow seemed to cast aside the disfavoring looks and all of them left. Everyone was quiet…

Especially Tara who had taken the time to pick up the game boards.

July 17, 2001 - 4:30AM

_Vodoo_

Life was about the push and pull. Wasn't it? Light and dark. Good and evil. And even though what was happening was closer to the dark side of things, it wasn't evil. That of course, depended on who you asked. After reaching her motel room the previous day, Faith had struggled to stay still. She had struggled to maintain her own inner calm. The way that Tara had reacted to the thought of her leaving left her more than a little confused. To date, the other woman had never reacted in such a way. Faith truly hadn't wanted to leave then…but then of course Willow had shown up and pitched such a nasty verbal volley that she had no choice.

And now she regretted it. Faith apologized for her actions. She apologized for all of it. Every time she thought that she was making strides to move forward, she found herself slipping further back. Her restlessness had eventually resulted in her heading back out of the motel room around ten at night. Slaying had always been a perfect release for her, but now she found that the same pleasure couldn't be found in slaying. Her inner voice had been crying all day for her to just stop and have a drink. To stop and go party. Maybe some fun would help her feel better.

Not wanting to fall on bad habits after her rounds were done, the brunette had decided to skip the usual club she'd gone to. She knew all of the easy drinking holes like the back of her hand. No one questioned her about age back then. No one cared as long as you carried enough greenbacks to pay your way in.

The Vodoo was a club she'd never gone into before. From the ominous crossbone symbol outside, she'd thought it was a bad idea. A lot of the people going in were not her kind of crowd. Some had their hair spiked with smaller piercings through their noses. Others had modified contacts to resemble snake-eyes and wore leather outfits held together by intricate chain work. Pausing as she came close to passing the place by, she also thought about potential prey on the inside. Even though the heavily pierced and tattooed pieces of humanity before her didn't appeal, that did not mean that vampires would turn up the opportunities. Clad in tight leather pants and jacket, she slid through the door without a complaint.

The chains hanging from the ceiling along with the few people who carried whips told her more than she needed to know about this little pocket of town. And unfortunately, had her senses not been so well turned to locating vampires, she would have staked the first man who approached her. He grinned; bearing what she knew had to be extensive and _expensive_ dental work. The fangs, she knew, were only real because they'd been teeth before. _Stupid…_ She mentally moaned. Not giving him a second glance, she began moving through the club.

Her movements were almost, panther-like. Adrenaline still pumped from her earlier fight and she eagerly looked forwards to another one. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd find a vamp that looked like her beloved Red.

"You look underdressed." The words caught her off guard and looking sharply to her right, she locked eyes with a cheerful woman with bright pink spiky hair and a septum piercing. Struggling not to roll her eyes, Faith averted her gaze.

"I've no clue what you're talking about." Squaring her shoulders, she flinched when the woman put a hand on her shoulder.

"Shhh. Easy pet. You look like you've had a hard day." Something about this woman seemed peculiar the longer she stayed near her. And so Faith moved away. It was nearly morning, so why was she still seeking things to dust? Her sense of smell didn't pick up any vampires and she couldn't sense the things nearby. The trip inside the Voodoo had been a waste after all. As she passed the bar, she stopped and leaned back to look at the tender.

It wasn't the charming smile he offered, or the pointed teeth that caught her attention. Nor was it the stubs of horns on his head, or the fact that his skin was a pale shade of blue. No, what drew her attention was the fact that he had what looked to be a tail, flicking lightly in the air. _Demon?_ She wasn't really sure. Some of the people there had things for show and others…she just wasn't sure. So instead of heading home and to bed, she took a seat instead.

"What can I get ya?" She should have said that all she wanted was a soda and then left. Or she should have just up and left immediately. Staring at all of the choices in front of her though, she composed her features and calmly replied.

"Saturday Night Special." Downing alcohol was never a good way to solve her problems. All they did was make her forget what she was doing at the time. _I shouldn't do this. God help me… I shouldn't…_ Good old Jack Daniels..her old friend. He called to her, and her mouth watered as the shot of potent liquor was set before her. _'Please don't leave me.'_ The pained voice echoed in her head.

_You're weak Faith! You always were, always will be. Strong in body, weak in the head. But that's just fine. We don't have you for what's between your ears anyway. You're gonna make us some money, girl. You'll make us a star!_

"Star…" She muttered, gathering the shot and tossing complete caution to the wind. She had enough conscious thought to toss cash at the tender while she drank. _Here she is, gentlemen. Faith Lehane. Winner of nothing at all and destined to be a failure in life! She specializes in killing people, ruining friendships and being unable to handle difficult situations without Dr. Daniels here. But that's alright because Jack will always be there for her, won't he?_ "Jack…" She mumbled, unclearly. The bartender, to his credit, was amazingly charming. Or so it seemed with enough alcohol racing through her veins.

Senses returning to her later was no surprise, nor was she surprised she was in the bathroom. Was did surprise her though was that somehow during the course of her drunken binge, she'd relocated Miss Pink Spikes and they were screwing like rabbits in the bathroom. Lips, teeth and tongues were all over the place. And had been if the slight cramping in her fingers were any indication. Sniffing slightly, her face flushed more than it had been at the scent of bodily fluids.

What was she doing exactly? And then, as if her eyes were opened further, she felt a hand climbing up her body and roughly massaging one breast. She couldn't help but to close her eyes as the familiar thrum of lust began pounding again within her. Arching her back, she felt the wall press back against her. Where were they exactly? The sound of a flushing toilet and click of heels went unnoticed as one after one, people entered the bathroom and relieved themselves then left. What was it that Willow had said to her? That there were places where only decent people dared to roam was it? _Red wouldn't step one foot in here._ Her eyes fluttered closed, one hand holding on to Pink Hair's spiked locks and the other holding on to the woman's wrist.

Excited panting breaths blasted across her thighs in regular intervals, her new companion of the evening, slowly but efficiently dragging her to her peak. A faint image began to swell and grow in her mind. If she struggled enough, she could grasp it. Behind her tightly clenched eyes, a visage of her old rival formed. In her drunken haze, Buffy was alive and well. The blonde's green eyes glittered eerily as they stared at her. _You're here…_ Faith was shocked, believing the woman to be dead. Instead of responding verbally, Buffy took several measured steps until she could look directly up at the taller Slayer.

"_You surprise me, you know?" She stated, crossing both arms. "When everyone needed you, you just left. But me? No one cares that I'm even around. I can't even-" Anything Faith would have said was cut off when Buffy grabbed both sides of her face and drew her down for a searing kiss. The move completely threw Faith off balance. She was completely shocked and then allowed her own personal passions to grow. She pressed into the embrace only to have Buffy pull away. "What?" But the face she saw before her had changed dramatically. To look more like…._

"So sweet." The voice muttered, the ministrations to her body increasing. Her eyes were still clamped firmly shut and she moaned aloud as her body was lifted and carried away into a very strong climax. Faith's eyes popped open then to look down between her legs. "So…so sweet." Pink Hair's face looked exactly like Tara's… And to make matters worse, she was withdrawing a very long and serpentine tongue. "Come on. Give us a kiss." The woman stated rudely, waggling her freakishly long tongue. Elongated fangs erupted from her top gums and she sunk them into the exposed flesh of the brunette's inner thigh.

Everything grew dark for the Slayer.

Faith's Motel Room – 7AM

Sitting up in bed abruptly on the tail end of a scream, Faith didn't take the time to survey her surroundings. Instead, she immediately ran to the bathroom. Flipping up the lid to the toilet, she dropped to her knees and violently wretched. From the acidic burn in her throat from the vomiting to the sudden dampness that alerted her to the fact she'd wet herself, Faith made a vow. Never to drink that much again. She knew that one was probably a promise she'd break, but anything had to be better than this. Grimacing as she rose from the wet floor, the brunette stripped and climbed in the shower.

She had to change. She needed to. Something was going to give. Her mind returned to thoughts of what had happened back at that club. Had she really… One hand reached down to her thighs.

And felt…

Nothing. No scrapes, no scars and no puncture wounds…

_Damn…_ The brunette thought, shaking her head. _I really need to stop the pity party drinking._ But what had happened? Had she only imagined that she went into Vodoo or did she go and then leave alone? It was so maddening that she couldn't remember what had happened earlier. "I should have stayed in the Silver Gauntlet tossing troublemakers out the door." The grumbling was hard to hear under the suddenly strong spray of the shower.

Life was never ever simple was it?

Across town, a pair of pale blue eyes stared at the rising sun with the same thoughts in mind.

To Be Continued

**Note: **Do be prepared for longer and longer chapters as I feel a bit more inspired to write now. Thanks for your patience and your time!

~MachaBadb


End file.
